Through the Eyes of the Observer
by Faralyne
Summary: To escape the stress of Team Natsu, our favorite dragon slayer takes a quest alone. Though, how does he end up turning into a dragon, and what does Gray have to do with all of it? Natray. Rated Teen. Fairy Tail World.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1—Intro**

_By Faralyne_

Life was good.

A toothy grin broke out from beneath fiery lips as the giant monstrosity fell to the charred ground with a thud. Burning flames expelled from the tightly clenched fists, the muscles of lightly tanned arms becoming less tense. Natsu Dragneel swiped at the sweat beading on his forehead before pumping one of his fists into the air.

"Take that, bastard monster! That'll teach ya to terrorize innocent villages!" he shouted at his unconscious opponent, the bright smile never leaving his face. Natsu whipped his head to the side with laughter in his voice, "That was so fun, right Hap—oh." The space next to him was empty.

_Right._ He took this quest by himself, and actually _by himself_ this time. Natsu ran a quick hand through his spiky pink locks in slight frustration. He just wanted a little alone time… but he forgot how lonely alone time could get.

The team was fun to take quests together, and they did it often to make sure Lucy's rent was paid and looked after. Nevertheless, it got a little overbearing and annoying. Erza was bossy, Lucy complained a lot, and Gray was, well, Gray. His existence alone was enough to piss off Natsu. The pinkette just wanted to get away from it all for a little bit—a few days at most. He wouldn't dare leave his family for much longer on such a petty reason. The team was so much fun too. His heart squeezed slightly, and he knew it was time to go home.

_That pretty much sums up this quest. Time to get paid!_ Natsu drooled at the thought of succulent meat from the pleasant village restaurant. He might just use all of his earnings to eat as much of that smoked meat as possible. With that thought clouding his mind, the pinkette darted back to the village.

.

Stupid village.

_Dockin' my pay, and for what!? A couple of burnt forests, destroyed buildings, and dried-up streams! It wasn't even that bad…_ Natsu huffed in his mind, gripping his pack a little tighter as the villagers watched him leave. They were wary of having him in their village for much longer. Meaning, no smoked meat for Natsu! The pinkette cursed under his breath. Just about a thousand jewels and a weird, magic fruit. It was a dull grey color with lime green slashes in it. The villagers said it was a little party favor fruit that would turn its eater into their favorite animal for the night.

_"__Just a bite to go wild for the night!"_

He tried to trade the fruit for a pass at the little restaurant, but the villagers really didn't want him there anymore. Everyone was so tense. _This was so not fun—well, kickin' the monster's ass was, but everythin' after went downhill!_ Natsu stomped down the dirt road. It was a long ways back to Magnolia. Technically, it was a five-to-six hour train ride, but Natsu would rather chew off his own hand before taking a train. And Erza wasn't there to scare him into one. So, it was a long two-day walk instead. A safer, less vomit-filled two-day walk—he may add.

.

It felt as if his legs were going to give out any moment now. His sandals dragged against the dark forest floor, kicking up dust and soil as he trudged by. The sun was already setting. The day was almost over. He'd been walking for who knew how long; he didn't keep track of the time after the hours started flying by. The adrenaline rush from the battle wore off a few hours into the walk, and the exhaustion was weighing down his shoulders.

His mouth widened without his permission, a loud yawn escaping as he rubbed his dry eyes. _Just a little longer and I'll take a break._ Was his backpack always this heavy? Natsu sighed, and before his mind could even think about it, his stomach growled. He was surprised the poor thing lasted so long.

"So hungry…" he exhaled, another grumble shaking his stomach. Patience running out, Natsu shrugged his pack off his shoulders to set up camp. He had to have something to nibble on. _Oh, wait!_ Ripping off his sleeping bag, and pulling out a couple of items, the pinkette found the strange-looking fruit at the bottom of his bag. He silently thanked the gods for keeping him from throwing it away as he shoved the whole fruit down his throat. It wasn't very filling, but it was better than nothing.

Natsu rolled out his sleeping bag, deciding that walking more would just make him even hungrier. _If I sleep now, then I'll have enough energy in the mornin' to flame some bird in the ass._ He thought, his eyes clamping shut as if they were meant to stay closed forever.

.

Rays of sun beat against Natsu's eyelids until he finally woke up. He growled, scrunching his obsidian eyes up more before gradually opening them. _Argh… Is it mornin' already?_ The sun was already sitting so high in the sky, the morning already passed by. He definitely wasn't too far from Magnolia now. This forest was the last big obstacle, and then it was just a long road to follow back. He yawned, raising a hand to rub his eye… until he froze.

Natsu blinked. Once. Twice. A couple more times, trying to see if his eyes were deceiving him. His hand… it was dark red. Little scales coated the skin, leading up to the black claws that used to be tanned fingers. Natsu blinked again. His brain had shut down, refusing to process any of this. He looked at his other hand, finding it to suffer the same fate.

"Grraatggh—grr …!" Natsu instantly clamped his mouth shut. He couldn't talk! All that escaped his mouth were low growls. _What the hell is goin' on?!_ Natsu panicked. He jumped back, landing on all fours. He could feel something extending from his backside, and something twitching around the middle of his back. There was a stream not too far from him, Natsu remembered. He stumbled over to it, trying to get used to running on all fours. Tripping into the cold water, he climbed out and waited for the water to settle—to see the image staring back at him.

A dragon.

He was a fucking dragon! Dark red scales extended across his entire body. Little black horns pointed out of his head, and his mouth protruded forward, sharp teeth filling it. Out of surprise, his wings extended outward, spiked tail sticking straight back. _I'm a… I turned into a… I…_ Obsidian eyes blinked owlishly in his reflection. He wasn't large or intimidating, just barely the size of a small dog. But he was still a dragon. The creature he'd been searching for all these years was staring right back at him. The irony of his appearance irritated him.

_I need to get back to the guild now! Wendy—yeah, Wendy'll be able to cure me!_ Natsu thought as he raced back to his little campsite. There was no way he'd be able to carry all of his things. But, he could still wear his money pouch around his neck and hold his muffler in his mouth. Natsu wasn't losing his muffler no matter what. Staring back at the left baggage for a little longer, Natsu sprinted off towards Magnolia once more.

.

**_A/N: _**_Hi, Faralyne speaking. I'm new to Fanfiction and Fairy Tail, so this is my first story. I have a pretty good idea on how I want to take it, but there might be fluctuating changes in the rating (from teen to mature) depending on how it plays out. I definitely welcome expressive reviews and constructive criticism! Thanks for reading!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_By Faralyne_

Waking up actually felt nice. His body was a little sore and hungry, but Natsu wasn't the least bit tired. He couldn't think of a time his bed felt so comfortable. His body just sunk into the white sheets, the dark blue comforter softly covering his body. _Haha, eyes playin' tricks on me again. My comforter's red._ Natsu blinked his eyes a bit, yet the color never changed. He stared down at his body—he was still a tiny dragon. _Ugh._

Wait.

How did he get in this bed? Wasn't he running to the guild? Natsu started to panic. He was running as fast as he could, the sun hurrying from the sky the entire way. But he couldn't remember much after that. And now he was lying in a comfy bed. Natsu sniffed the air. He could smell soap wafting off his body, spearmint filling his nose. An afterthought whispered in his ears, but Natsu ignored it. _Sure Gray smelled like spearmint all the fuckin' time, but there's no way… I probably didn't even make it back to Magnolia._ Struggling out of the warm comforter, Natsu climbed onto the stuffed white pillow.

And he got his answer.

Gray was sleeping quietly, his back turned towards Natsu. Almost inaudible breaths escaped his slightly open mouth. His eyes were scrunched up a bit, eyebrows furrowed. _Ha, he looks pissy even when he sleeps—wait, that's not important right now! How did I end up here?!_ Natsu wanted to scream, but only gargling growls left his mouth. Well, _almost _only. Sparks spat from his mouth, catching the pillow on fire. _Oh shit!_ Natsu tried to stomp out the spreading fire, but it only seemed to get bigger.

Gray groaned, shifting a bit. "… Is something… burning?" he mumbled out, eyes still closed. He inhaled the air before his eyes snapped open and he rolled over towards the fire.

"_Fire_—WHAT THE HELL?!" he shouted, his whole body jolting back until he fell from the bed and crashed onto the floor. He jumped up, grabbing the comforter up into his hands and throwing it over the spreading fire, finally extinguishing it. Black smoke filled the air and had Gray coughing all the way to open the window. The room was silent as the air cleared, the smoke racing into the outside air.

Gray scratched the back of his messy bedhead and turned to face the culprit.

"Kakakaka…" Natsu snickered. Even though his laugh sounded weird, he was sure the ice block could tell he was laughing. _He fell off the bed—hahahaha! His hair got singed a bit!_ "Kakaka."

A vein popped out on the dark-haired man's forehead, but he only sighed, "This is what I get for sheltering a weird-ass lizard. Should've known it could do abnormal things. But fire, really?" Gray rubbed his temples, and Natsu suddenly stopped laughing. _Bastard, I'm a dragon, not a lizard!_ He growled.

"And now I need to buy a new pillow and sheets," Gray noted to himself. He plopped back down on the bed, sitting directly in front of Natsu. Dark blue eyes observed the little dragon, making Natsu feel a little uncomfortable. _No way does this bastard make me feel uncomfortable!_ Natsu glared back, narrowing his squinty eyes. He noticed Gray was actually wearing clothes. It was a miracle, and the information definitely made sleeping in the same bed sound less horrifying.

A pale hand hesitantly touched the top of Natsu's head, pulling him from his thoughts. Gray was petting him. The pale hand scratched near his horns—goddamn it that felt good. Natsu almost leaned towards the man, but he snapped out of it, shaking Gray's hand off. He growled and moved back a little.

"Jeez, you don't need to be so guarded, little guy," Gray mumbled, pushing some of his long bangs back. "I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't found you in that garbage pile." _He found me where?! How'd I end up in garbage? Better yet, where's my muffler?!_ Natsu panicked a bit when he couldn't see the important cloth.

"Are you hungry?" Gray's question must have been directed to his stomach because it growled in reply. The dark-haired man smirked a little. _Ergh, no stomach, don't give in! …But I'm hungry!_ Natsu watched as Gray stood up from the bed and walked out of the room. A couple of minutes passed before his dark head popped back into the room. "You comin', little guy?"

Natsu didn't need to be told twice. He snarled at Gray. _Quit callin' me "little guy"!_

.

Gray's apartment was a little small, but convenient. It wasn't really decorated or anything. There weren't any picture frames or photos anywhere. Just some furniture and items to function properly. The ice mage travelled into the kitchen mumbling to himself while Natsu explored the foreign area. He'd never been to Gray's apartment before. Had any of them? Not that it was surprising. Erza, Natsu, and Gray's homes were pretty off limits. They usually just hung out at Lucy's apartment because it was so nice and welcoming. The dragon saw something that sparked his interest and darted towards it. His muffler! It was folded neatly and sitting on the little coffee table in front of the sofa. _Phew, it's okay!_ His money pouch was lying next to it. Natsu jumped up onto the table and snuggled into the muffler. It smelled clean—like laundry detergent.

"Hey!" Two hands scooped Natsu up, yanking him away from his muffler. _But it's mine!_ The dragon wriggled in the tight grasp. "Don't touch that. It belongs to a friend." Natsu froze. It wasn't a surprise that they were friends (isn't rivalry but a competition between friends?), but… it was different when Gray actually said it. Acknowledged without hesitation. It was nice.

"It's really important to him, which is weird that I found it next to the trash with you. And I'm pretty sure that pouch is his too," the ice mage said, turning towards the kitchen. "Well, when he gets back from his stupid alone-time quest, I'll give it back."

Natsu jumped out of the pale hands and into the pulled-out wooden chair. His eyes bulged out of their sockets at the plate of smoked sausage in front of him. He was so preoccupied with his muffler, he hadn't even noticed the succulent smell of sausage.

"I don't really know what lizards eat so—oh, he likes it," Gray laughed as Natsu ignored his words and started shoving the meat down his throat. _Baby, it's been too long._ As the little dragon was licking the plate, he finally noticed Gray watching him, his head propped up on the backs of his hands. _Wh-what? Is there meat on my face? Hah, no, I'd never leave anything uneaten._ Natsu growled since he didn't know what else to do. The dark-haired man only chuckled.

"So, do you have a name?"

_It's Natsu, you bastard!_ Natsu still needed to get to Wendy. Yet, how was he going to tell her that he was indeed their homesick dragon slayer? Not even Gray figured it out and he was somewhat smart. _Somewhat. I'm not complimentin' him or anythin'._ He wished he only knew how he got like this in the first place. Natsu tried to recall his memories from before he turned into this. All he did was defeat a monster, walk home, eat a weird fruit, and go to sleep. He didn't do anything out of the ordinary!

Natsu tried to think more on what could've done this to him until it finally hit him. The weird fruit really was, well, weird! _Right, it was a party favor! So it was gonna turn me into my favorite animal for a day. But a dragon's not an animal (not that it matters), and it's been longer than a day…_ Why hadn't he changed back already?

"_Natsu_."

The little dragon nearly had a heart attack when Gray called his name. Natsu snapped his head up, eyes as wide as saucers. _D-did he? Does he know?_ Even if it were the ice block, Natsu was relieved someone figured it out. Gray laughed. "Ha, I should name you Natsu. It'll probably piss the living daylights out of him that I named a lizard after him."

Natsu fumed. _This bastard!_ The little dragon snarled before jumping on Gray. The action had enough force to knocked the ice mage back in his seat, the wooden chair toppling to the ground. Gray banged his head against the hard flooring while trying to pry Natsu from his nose—which he was currently biting.

"Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Fuck, Natsu, get off!" Gray snapped, finally yanking the little dragon from his reddening nose. Natsu struggled in his grip until the dark-haired man finally let him go. He huffed, curtly nodding his head.

_That'll teach ya, ya shitty Popsicle!_

.

Natsu trotted slowly next to Gray's legs as they walked down the bridge towards the guild. _Finally, the guild! To think this exhibitionist was gonna leave me locked in his house!_ Natsu growled, startling a passerby. Gray tried so hard to keep Natsu from following him out the door, but he gave up once realized it was impossible.

"I hope the guild doesn't flip out when they see you. You're on your own if it happens," Gray huffed, narrowing his eyes at the little dragon by his side. Natsu growled some incomprehensible retort back, little sparks escaping his mouth. What was the big deal anyway? So what if Natsu was a small dragon—frequently mistaken as an overgrown, mutant lizard. _Plus, I can take care of myself!_ Natsu nodded briskly as the ice mage pushed open the large guild doors of Fairy Tail.

"Hey everyone," he greeted, stuffing his hands in his pants pockets (his jacket and shirt already absent). The little dragon's heart sped up at the loud greetings thrown their way. He missed his guild, and it hurt that they didn't think he returned. Suddenly, everyone became silent.

"Uh, Gray… what's that thing by your feet?" Lucy finally spoke up as the pair sat down at their usual table. She was trying to act casual, but the curiosity and slight intimidation were evident in her voice. Wendy and Erza were sitting across the table, peering over the top. Natsu scrambled up on the connected wooden bench (he almost didn't make it), settling into the spot in between Gray and Lucy.

"Meet Natsu." Gray paused for effect, watching the eyes widen before he cracked an amused smirk. "Haha, no, not the real idiotic dragon slayer. I just named him that because it's funny. I found him unconscious in some garbage pile, and, well, yeah." The dark-haired man shrugged his shoulders, his face becoming indifferent.

"Natsu's going to be mad that you named a bizarre lizard after him," Lucy pointed out and Gray made a face that read, 'No shit, Sherlock. That's the point.' They bantered a bit, something along the lines of "and why does it look like something tried to bite your nose off, Gray?" and "don't ask." Wendy stole little glances at the little dragon.

"Um, doesn't it look like… Don't you think he looks like a dr-dragon? I mean, can lizards have wings?" she squeaked.

Erza glared at Natsu, eyes narrowing in observation. Natsu sort of shrunk in on himself under her stare. "But they disappeared years ago. Why would a baby just pop up out of nowhere?" she questioned. _I'm not a baby! I'm just a little on the small side!_

Wendy shrugged, staring down into her lap. "I don't know. He just looks and smells like one… he sort of smells like Natsu-san, but I can't tell with Gray-san's smell all over him…"

Natsu stiffened, gagging at the comment. _Gray's smell is on me! Yuck!_ He shivered. _But Wendy, it's me! You've gotta believe me!_ Gray chuckled, "That's cause I gave him a bath. He smelled like burnt shit." The little dragon snapped his head up, growling at the ice mage. _You smell like minty shit!_ The ice mage raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Lucy giggled, "That's so nice Gray. I bet Natsu would be freaking out over him." She smiled, her mood dampening. She bent pieces of her blond hair as a distraction. "I wonder when he's going to come back. It's no fun without our favorite pinkette." _I-I'm right here, Lucy…_

"That asshole slipped out from under my nose. When he gets back…" Erza huffed, letting the threat sink in. Everyone gulped.

"O-okay then…" Gray started after the tense pause, "I'll be going now. I'm taking the inn ice-sculpture quest, so I'll be back sometime in the evening." He pulled himself up from the seat, rummaging around in his pocket for the folded up quest. He tried to pet Natsu, but the little dragon snapped at him. _Don't pet me!_ Gray sighed. "I just needed to run this by Mira."

Lucy jumped up, "Ah, wait, what about him?" She indiscreetly nodded her head in Natsu's direction.

The ice mage blinked, "You mean he can't just chill here until I come back? There are enough people to watch over him." With that, Gray waved goodbye and was already walking towards Mira's bar.

The blonde sighed before sitting back down. She glanced at Natsu. "It's not a problem, I guess. He's sort of cute—in an odd way." Natsu snorted. _Sort of? Wait, I'm not cute! I'm ferocious! Badass! Cool!_ He glared at the exhibitionist's back as he talked to Mirajane for a bit, then languidly exited the guild.

"Do you think Gray-san seems a little down?"

The little dragon raised an eyebrow at the question. _Down? Him? No, not really._

"Mm, a little bit. Think it's the anniversary of his teacher's death?"

Erza shook her head, "No, that passed a while ago. I hope he didn't get himself in any trouble. Well, if he wants to talk about, he knows we're here for him."

"Yeah, well, it could just be my imagination too. Anyways, have you been to the new bakery…"

The girls' voices faded into the background noise. Did he really look down? Natsu hadn't noticed. He stared at the closing door. _Err, it's not my problem. He can go be depressed all he wants for all I care._ Natsu grunted. Yet, he couldn't tear his eyes away from the guild's entrance. And without asking for permission, his little body darted for it. _Damn it, Popsicle!_

"Hey, wait! Someone catch him!"

"Stop!"

Natsu dodged the pairs of hands darting towards him, successfully squeezing through the heavy doors.

.

He was so lost.

How he managed to get lost in his hometown was a mystery to him. Everything just looked so different in his current body. And the darkened sky wasn't helping much either. _My eyes are better at adaptin' at night though. But I'm so hungry!_ Natsu's stomach rumbled just thinking about food. He tried following the stupid ice block, but as soon as he stepped out of the guild, he was nowhere to be seen. And then the guild members were trying to catch him and drag him back to the guild. Natsu had to run so far; picking ways he never knew of before. He let out an exasperated roar. _This is that ice block's entire fault!_

"The hell was that?"

Natsu snapped his head up from the voice. He was currently sitting at the entrance of a dark alleyway, trying to retrace his steps for the hundredth time that day. Suddenly, a head popped over him.

"Ew, what is that?" a girl voice complained. There were more of them—some older kids exploring the night. They crowded around Natsu, peering over him like hawks. The little dragon sprung up to his feet, body growing tense and guard rising.

"I dun know. Never see anythin' like it 'fore." Someone nudged him with his foot, and Natsu lashed out. _Who do ya think you're touchin', punk?!_ Natsu bit the outstretched ankle in reproach. "Ow, get this thin' off me!"

He bit harder until pain blossomed from his side. _Crack._ Natsu gasped for air, mouth gapping like a fish. It was excruciatingly hard—whatever smashed into him. His small body lurched into the air easily, falling and skidding to a stop.

"You didn't have to smack it with a metal bar! What if you killed it?" the girl screeched.

"That shit deserves ta die for bitin' me. Gimme that!" The metal bar crashed into Natsu's stomach before he had a chance to catch his breath, let alone move. And then he was in the air once again. He felt like he was going to retch. His insides were tight and twisted.

But Natsu didn't crash into the ground. No, something—someone caught him, pulled him into his bare chest. Even though the grip was gentle, Natsu's whole body ached in discomfort. It shivered sporadically. He was so… weak.

"Who do ya think ya are? Give that ba—"

"—Thanks for finding this guy for me. I've been looking all over for him." The voice was a low rumble. Deathly calm and cold.

"Uh guys, you see the guild symbol too, right?" one of the kids spoke nervously.

"Shit, he's that ice mage from Fairy Tail! RUN!"

Natsu heard the footsteps recede quickly. He hadn't even noticed his eyes screwed closed, not with the pulsing pain coursing though his torso. "Hey, hey, are you okay? Hold on, okay? Everything's gonna be all right," Gray spoke in a soft voice full of worry and muffled panic. But it was relieving. Natsu slowly let his guard down, darkness blanketing his mind.

.

**_A/N: _**_Hi again, and Happy Thanksgiving! This chapter was so much longer than the first one, so I hope you liked it!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_By Faralyne_

(Additional Character Warning: for those who don't like made-up side characters in stories)

Natsu woke up to pain. It was dulled a bit, but that wasn't enough. It felt as if his body went through a shredder and somehow haphazardly patched itself back together. He was back on the soft, comfortable bed though. At least that was nice; he was starting to get used to its enveloping warmth. Natsu noticed the white bandages circling his entire torso. And he was still a dragon.

_Shitty kids. If I ever see them again… well, they best pray I don't see them._ Natsu growled, but immediately whimpered. Even growling hurt. Slowly and with stiff movements, he shuffled out of the blue comforter, popping his head out from underneath. He almost had an aneurism when he saw Gray's face only inches away. Natsu swallowed, calming himself down. _That's right… He found me with those kids… How many times is he going to help me?_ The little dragon already knew the answer to that. They were family; Gray would always help him out, regardless of how heated their rivalry became. And Natsu would do the same.

He stared at the sleeping man's face. Gray's eyebrows were still scrunched up, mouth settled in a small frown. The little dragon wondered if Gray always looked like that when he slept, or if he was just dreaming of something unsettling. He subconsciously shuffled closer, their bodies almost touching. He could just barely feel the body heat fanning off of the ice mage. Gray was strange like that. Even though he was an ice mage, he wasn't cold. He was warm like everyone else. The first time they got into a brawl, the revelation shocked Natsu.

"Hngh…" Gray groaned, shifting over to the other side, his bare back facing the little dragon. He curled in on himself, hands bunching up in the (new) comforter. Natsu snuggled underneath the comforter, reveling in its warmth, as he closed his eyes again. _Nothin' wrong with sleepin' a little longer._

.

Shuffling and muffled voices broke Natsu out of his sleepy stupor. He groaned, blinking a couple of times to adjust to the bright light seeping in through the window. Gray was missing from the bed. Even as his spearmint scent lingered, his heat was gone. Natsu crawled out of the bed, tumbling to the ground in a clumsy mess. He sucked air in sharply. Pain shot through his ribs and stomach, throbbing around his tail and scraped feet. He had to take a breather before moving again.

He hated this weakness. It was new to him. If someone hit him with a metal bar in his human body, he wouldn't even flinch. Better yet, he'd grab the bar and melt it. Yet, this small body couldn't take much damage, as if the hard red scales were just for show. _It sucks! Igneel's so awesome and strong… how do I be like that? So I can be the one savin' Gray's ass instead of the other way around?_ After the majority of the pain dulled to a numb throbbing, Natsu dragged his body out of the bedroom.

The muffled voices grew louder until he could clearly distinguish between two voices: Gray and another male voice. He didn't sound like anyone from the guild. Natsu was sure he'd never heard this voice before; it wasn't even vaguely familiar. Finally peering into the small living area, his obsidian eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

Gray was trapped in some asshole's chest, arms securely locked around the ice mage's bare waist. The young guy was sweating slightly, his deep brown hair sticking to his face. Bits of forgotten stubble decorated his upper lip, cheeks and chin.

Natsu gapped, his mind completely blank. _Wha-wha-wha-wha-what?_ Who was this man, and who did he think he was, touching Gray like that?! Gray's hands were pushing against the jacketed chest, yet their attempts weren't much of a struggle.

"If you don't let go _right now_, I'm gonna freeze your ass to hell," Gray threatened, his tone rough and groggy from the morning.

"Don' be like that, babe. Can't I jus' stop n' say 'ello?" the man's voice was horribly slurred, a drunken hue decorating his cheeks. He grinned foxily and leaned his lips closer to Gray's ear. " 'sides, you weren't actin' like tis ta 'ther day—_yelp!_" The guy immediately lurched back, letting go of the ice mage and frantically clawing at the receding ice on his chest.

"No…" Gray trailed, shaking his head. His tone was surprisingly calm. He stifled a yawn, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands. "I can't believe you're drunk already. Didn't we talk about this? Go home, Hiroto."

This _Hiroto_-guy whined, stumbling back up to the door and leaning against it for support. He attempted a pouting look, and Natsu snorted. His mind was finally functioning again. _Go away, whoever you are! You're obviously not wanted here! I'll kick your ass, bastard! _ He growled in his mind, getting worked up for no reason. Natsu didn't know who this guy was, but if he was hurting his family in any way… It felt as if lava was bubbling in his stomach and suffocating his heart.

"But I barely made it h're! Yer so damn far! 'Nd I 'anted ta see you… Tis _was_ my home once…" Hiroto trailed off, mumbling other incoherent words. Gray stared at the tall man with stubborn eyes. Until they cracked. He sighed, running a hand through his spiky bedhead.

"… Fine." Natsu's jaw dropped in disbelief. Hiroto cheered, broken hiccups interrupting his happiness. "But only until you sober up, then I'm kicking you out." Gray grabbed the man's long jacket, pulling him into his apartment and pushing him on the nearby sofa. Hiroto tripped onto the soft material, cuddling into it. He pressed his nose against it and smiled lopsidedly.

"It smells like ya…" he sighed in satisfaction. The ice mage rolled his eyes.

"No shit. Lay there, I'll get you some coffee," Gray ordered, his voice sounding way too resigned.

He lethargically walked towards the kitchen, jumping at the sight of the little dragon staring up at him with unreadable eyes. Natsu's body was tense and he didn't understand the distasteful feeling washing through him. Gray snapped out of his shock, kneeling down in front of the dragon.

"Natsu! What are you doing up? How're you even moving?" Gray asked in a concerned voice. He reached out towards the little dragon, but Natsu growled and stepped back. He glared at the asshole sniffing Gray's sofa, the distaste intensifying. Gray clicked his tongue, "_Really_? You want to act like this now? You're severely hurt! Just let me help you, damn it!"

Gray extended his hand a little further, his eyes softening and resigning. "Please?" Natsu stopped in his tracks. Any anger burned out of his little body, guilt splashing through. Not once had the ice block made a face like that—not towards him at least. Without even thinking, Natsu darted into Gray's hands, settling in the nostalgic warmth. Gray smiled, carefully picking up the little dragon and continuing to the kitchen.

"Are you hungry?"

_Growl._

The ice mage laughed, "Alright, I'll make breakfast too." Natsu's face felt hot. And he could tell it wasn't all from the embarrassing reply his stomach made. _Stupid dragon body._ He concluded as Gray placed him on one of the wooden kitchen chairs.

.

"So, I'm gonna take it you haven't found another job yet," Gray continued. He was sitting cross-legged on the coffee table directly in front of the scumbag Hiroto. And Natsu was lying in his lap. _Like hell I'm a leave Popsicle with this perverted bastard._ Natsu growled at every movement Hiroto made, glaring venomous daggers into his toned body.

"Um…" Hiroto glanced at the little, injured dragon.

"Just ignore him. Don't change the subject."

The brunette exhaled heavily, taking a sip of the coffee Gray made, "Nah—but I almost did! But those bastards… I don't know what I did wrong! But I didn't get it… and you weren't around to cheer me up, so…" He gulped down the coffee, blinking a bit to wake up.

Gray sighed, "It's fine, you'll get it next time. But, you need to cool it with the drinking. It's not helping."

Hiroto let a wry smirk pull at his lips, "If you really wanted to _help_, you could—"

"Not this again."

"Damn it! Don't be so stingy. Or is it because I'm some jobless bum who gets drunk off his ass every night? To think you actually cared about me," the brunette barked, his voice rising. He chugged the rest of his coffee, gripping the cup and silently wishing it were something else. He was fidgety and frustrated.

Gray pinched the brink of his nose. The dark eyes that stared at the scene in front of him did not break this time. Natsu glanced up at the ice mage, swallowing against his dry throat from the biting look. _Thank god that's not directed to me…_ "I do care—"

"Then—"

"—_But_ I'm not going to _coddle_ you anymore. I helped you get back on your feet, and now it's your turn to stand on your own. A man's gotta know how to go through life with his head up, how to make the right friends that'll help him through his weakest times, how to make the right choices _himself_. I mean," Gray picked up the little dragon in his lap, a small smile on his face. "I'm pretty sure this guy's trying harder than you. He's independent, reckless, and fierce. And he's made some bad choices, but he's picking the right ones in the end."

And Natsu's face felt hot again. No, it was scorching underneath Gray's warm stare. He wriggled in the hold, unsure of what to do, and Gray put him back down. _That's twice he's complimented me. Twice… he's made my face burn. What kinda magic is this?_ Natsu buried his head in Gray's black long shorts to hide it away, the spearmint smell invading his nose.

"_Che_. That's just some dumb animal—actually, what the hell is that thing? Whatever, it doesn't matter! It doesn't have to make the choices I had to make, go through what I had to!" Hiroto stood up, throwing the coffee mug at Gray, who caught it effortlessly. A rough hand grabbed Gray's chin, and Natsu was seeing red. Enraged hazel eyes stared directly into the narrowed azure ones. "But if you aren't gonna help me, then I'm leaving."

The tall man stormed out, slamming the apartment door behind him. Gray rolled his eyes, "He's probably not even mad at me, just mad he lost his alcohol buzz." Natsu huffed. _Asshole._ He didn't need to get to know that Hiroto-guy anymore than he had to know he was no good.

"He's just confused right now. Been pretty lost after his parents' death. And honestly, I don't know if he'll be all right. I tried to help but…" Gray confessed; his head tilted back as he stared at the white ceiling. "Guess it didn't work. Can't help everyone, huh?"

Natsu was at a loss for words (or grumbles) as he stared at the quiet ice mage. But his face started burning again when Gray looked back down at him, a small smile on his face.

"Wanna go to the guild?"

.

"Thank god."

"You found him!"

"You could've said something, Gray! We were all freaking out!"

Natsu felt the soft rumble of Gray's laughter as he sat propped against the ice mage's chest. Gray let him walk (actually, Natsu was too stubborn to be carried) until he couldn't move a single muscle. He'd never admit it in a million years, but it was sort of nice resting against the ice mage's warm chest (which happened to still be bare).

"Sorry, sorry," Gray raised an arm in surrender to the worried complaints, "but he didn't make it easy for me. And then a couple of bratty assholes hurt him…" Natsu watched Lucy's face contort in horror and she gazed upon his tight bandages.

"What happened?" someone asked, but Natsu couldn't tell which guild member it was—as they were all crowded around the pair.

"I don't know how it started but, these brats were smacking him around with a metal bar when I came around. I was so angry, I thought I was going to beat 'em up." the ice mage explained, his voice but a shaky whisper through gritted teeth. He huffed at the shocked faces. "Sorry, but it doesn't matter if you're a woman or even a child. I don't go easy on anybody who hurts my family."

Natsu swallowed against his dry throat. He could hear, feel even, how Gray's heart pounded in his chest in anger. And it made his heart start pacing faster. Wendy squeezed through the crowd trying to get a look at the little dragon. She had a worried, serious expression on her face.

"I can help ease some of his pain, Gray-san," she proclaimed, a light blue light radiating from her palms as they hovered over Natsu's torso. _Ah, it feels so comfortable. So relaxing and nice—_

Natsu didn't realize he fell asleep until he was stirring in one of the guild's infirmary beds. He felt the bed shift a bit. Lucy was sitting on the end, reading one of her romantic novels, her reading glasses perched on the tip of her nose. Her eyes suddenly glanced towards the little dragon and a smile tugged at her lips.

"Did you have a nice nap?" she asked, her voice soft and caring. She put her book down, scooting closer. "You just suddenly fainted, everyone was worried." Natsu groaned. _I fainted? Ah, that's so uncool…_ Subconsciously, his eyes scanned the quiet room. It was only he and Lucy.

Before his mind could formulate the question, the celestial spirit mage giggled, "Are you looking for Gray? He's outside… Wanna go see him?" Natsu felt his face burning. _I-I was not lookin' for that bastard! Just lookin' around the room!_ He huffed, trying to stretch his limbs a bit. Wendy deserved a huge plate of flaming meat. His body still hurt, but it was nothing compared to before. Natsu jumped off the bed, silently telling Lucy to hurry up as he stopped by the closed door.

"Ah, wait for me!"

Once they were back in the noisy main hall, Natsu could easily spot the ice mage. He was sitting at one of the tables, talking with Cana, Elfman, and Juvia—well, Juvia was sort of just staring at him with a deep blush on her face. But then something blue pounced on top of Gray's head, coming into Natsu's vision. _Ha-Happy… Happy!_ Natsu was already darting towards the talking blue cat that was pulling at Gray's hair.

"He's coming back! I bet he's already walking home!" Happy pouted. "It's just a long walk! That's all—AYE?!" Natsu quickly jumped onto the wooden bench, pushing in-between Gray and Juvia to climb atop of the ice mage. And he tackled the cat in a hug.

Only it looked like Natsu was trying to maul or eat the poor cat.

Happy screamed, tightening his hold on Gray's hair as the two struggled on top of the ice mages head.

"No—ow—get off—_ow_! BOTH OF YOU!" Gray unlatched the two from his head, losing more than a few strands of hair in the process, and pulled them apart.

"Gray, it tried to eat me!" Happy sniffled, letting go loose strands of black hair. Natsu's jaw dropped. _No, I didn't! I'm just so happy to see you! Happy, don't cry!_ The little dragon lowered his head, his wings and tail following the act. Gray noticed the sullen attitude and sighed, putting both of them on the table.

"Happy, I promise, he's not going to eat you," the ice mage assured and gave Happy a small push towards the quiet dragon. "This is Natsu—wait, maybe I shouldn't…"

Gray trailed off at the shocked expression on Happy's face. He was about to correct the little cat until a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Lucy shook her head, whispering, "Let him believe it for now. He's been taking this the hardest so far."

"Na-Natsu?" Happy hesitantly called. The little dragon's head snapped up, his obsidian eyes staring at his best flying friend. Happy hiccupped, a quivering smile pulling at his lips as he ran towards Natsu and pulled him into a hug. "Natsu! Natsu!" The little cat continued to repeat his name, his voice filled with relief and joy.

The little dragon felt his heart swell as he nuzzled into his friend. _Happy… I'm so sorry I left without you!_ He hadn't noticed the whole guild crowding around their table, watching the scene with heart-warmed smiles. Natsu let his eyes slide to the ice mage—which was a big mistake. His face felt as if it was burning again, and he quickly looked away.

"How cute," Natsu heard someone mutter. He looked up towards the voice. Makarov was standing by the table, staring at Natsu in interest. "Do you mind if I borrow this little guy for a bit?"

Happy looked reluctant, but finally nodded and pulled away from the little dragon. _Huh, what does Gramps want? When did he get here anyway?_ Natsu thought, hopping off the table with ease and following the old guild master back to the empty infirmary.

The old man plopped down on the bed, his gaze never leaving Natsu's little body. He was observing him, mulling over something in his mind. Until he cracked an amused smile.

"In all the years I've lived, I've never seen anything like this happen before." He chuckled a little before standing back up.

"Natsu Dragneel, is that really you?"

.

_**A/N:** Howdy y'all! What do you think of this chapter? I decided on a route for the story, so I hope it goes well!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_By Faralyne_

**_A/N:_**_ This chapter may be a little boring since it is more of an explanation of Natsu's condition. Be ready for more drama (?) next chapter, haha!_

"Natsu Dragneel, is that really you?"

Natsu's body stiffened. His eyes widened slowly as the words finally registered in his mind. _Gramps… he knows? He knows!_ Hastily, Natsu shook his head in agreement, the old man smiling in amusement. The little dragon nearly forgot how important it was to return to normal—how much he needed someone to figure out it was he. Truth be told, he was getting used to the little body, getting used to living with Gray.

"How in the world did you end up like this?" Makarov asked, his voice controlling the laughter buried underneath. Natsu glared, growling at the old man. _Don't go laughin' at me! I didn't choose to be like this!_ Makarov waited for Natsu to answer before raising an eyebrow.

"Natsu? Hello?" he waved a wrinkly hand in front of the little dragon, and Natsu was tempted to nip it. Though, the realization dawned on the guild master. "You… you can't talk? Well, that would make sense as to why I wasn't notified of your condition earlier… You really can't talk? You're a dragon, right?"

_Yes! Someone finally realizes I'm a dragon!_ Natsu cried in his mind. _But, it's weird I can't talk. Igneel taught me how to read and write and talk like everyone else… so why can't I speak now?_ He looked up at Makarov, just as confused as he was.

"That's unusual—well, _all_ of this is unusual. Why don't we go visit Porlyusica and see if she can do something about it?"

.

"What."

The door to the guild's medical advisor was opened a creak, a sliver of light seeping out from the brightly lit room. Porlyusica stared hard through the crack, determining whether she should actually let the pair inside and away from the cold night. Her office was closed for the day anyway.

Makarov let out a light chuckle, "Nice to see you too, Porlyusica. I know we shouldn't bother you right now, but we want to know if you can fix him." The old man made an obvious gesture to the little dragon sitting at his feet.

Suddenly, the door swung open, and Porlyusica was speculating Natsu with calculating eyes.

"Is that what I think it is?" she asked, her voice a little breathless out of surprise. Makarov nodded and Natsu snorted. _I'd be happier if I wasn't called a 'that.'_ "But, dragons have disappeared for many years. How is this possible?"

"That's the thing," the old man started, picking Natsu up quickly, "He's not so spectacular to be the first baby dragon in years. This is just Natsu being affected by the work of magic."

The pinkette's face dropped to a scowl. "Again, what do you want?" _Oi! Don't treat me like a waste of time, you old bat!_ Natsu growled, thrashing in Makarov's grasp.

"Haha, is there anything you can do to fix him?" Makarov tried again, inaudibly sighing in relief when the medical advisor stepped aside for them to enter. The pair sat down on the bed while Porlyusica took a seat on one of the wooden stumps. She perched her glasses on her nose, taking out a pen and pad.

"What are his symptoms?" she asked in a professional tone, tapping her pen against the white pad.

Makarov glanced down at Natsu laying into the bed, "Well, I'm not really sure myself. Somehow he's turned into a baby dragon and he can't speak. I only figured out it was him from his magical energy."

Porlyusica jotted down something before turning her attention to the little dragon, "Well, his speech could be affected by the fact he is a _baby_ dragon. Since dragons age slowly, his ability to speak the human language may take longer to develop as well. Did you come in contact with a certain type of magic user?"

Natsu tried to think back to his mission, ultimately shaking his head. The monster he fought didn't use magic, just brute strength.

"Did you consume something magical?"

The little dragon nodded fervently. _It's that damn fruit! Maybe it went bad before I ate it and screwed up my insides!_

"Okay, we're getting somewhere. What was it? Potion? Meat of a magical animal? Fruit—" Natsu growled as soon as the old woman uttered the word, "fruit." She jotted down more words before standing up.

"Give me a second." The guild advisor abruptly left the pair to rummage through some bookshelves, running her finger along the binds of the books. She pulled out a weathered, grey book titled, Magical Fruits from Around the World and settled down on the stump right in front of Natsu.

"I'm going to flip through this book, and you nod at the fruit you ate. Simple enough for even you," she ordered, earning a snappy snarl from the little dragon.

Porlyusica flipped a couple of pages, sometimes asking whether the drawn fruit on each pages was the one Natsu had eaten. After several tries, she finally stopped on a page with a roundish, grey fruit with lime green slashes in it. The little dragon jumped at the sight, nodding his head zealously, and the guild medic snatched the book away. She walked back to her seat while she read the page… and sighed bitterly.

"Have you been in this body for more than one day?"

Natsu nodded.

"How much of the fruit did you eat?"

He tried to think of how to answer the question, giving up and trying to make a fist with one of his clawed hands.

"… Is that supposed to mean the whole fruit?" Porlyusica asked, though there was slight frustration in her voice.

Natsu nodded eagerly.

The pink-haired healer sighed once more, turning to Makarov. "You… why do you house such idiots?" she groused, lifting a finger. "The fruit you ate was a type of party favor fruit, which turns you into your favorite animal for one night after the ingestion of _one_ bite. You ate the whole damn thing." She rolled her eyes when Natsu's jaw dropped.

"This is why… ugh, _humans_. Give or take, there are probably seven bites in that fruit, so you'll be back to normal in a week or less. Dragon slayers usually have fast metabolisms, so you could revert back faster. Now that you are aware of your stupidity, leave."

With that, Makarov thanked the unpleasant woman and exited with Natsu staggering behind him. _Seven days… Seven days! GIVE OR TAKE! I knew I should've thrown out that goddamn fruit!_ Natsu groaned, his head lowering to his feet.

"Oh, Natsu, it's not that bad. At least, now you can—well, I can—tell everyone what happened…" Makarov trailed off at the loud growl Natsu gave him. _Hell no! You can't tell anyone! Especially Gray!_ The little dragon didn't want to know what the ice block would do to him if he found out their fire dragon slayer, his rival, was sleeping with him and spying on his life. _I mean, I'm not really spying on his life, but still! No, no, no, no. He'll turn me into iced dragon bites!_ Natsu shuddered and gave the old guild master a firm shake of his head, no. If it were still the first day Natsu was brought to Gray's house, it would've been fine. But now…

"Okay… but I think everyone would be glad to know you're back. But it's your decision, so I'll keep it a secret for now," Makarov assured, and relief washed over Natsu's body.

Natsu felt a little guilty not telling everyone, but it was for his own safety. _This way I can still sleep with Gray and there'll be no problems. I'll just leave as soon as I turn back, and he'll never know!_ Natsu thought, nodding his head at his ingenuous plan. But, then he froze in his tracks. The scorching hot feeling was pressing against his cheeks again. _Not that I want to sleep with Gray! I'm just used to it—I just like it—he just, argh! I don't know anymore!_ He wanted to scream, but only his usual growls and rumbling roars escaped his mouth. At least he didn't light anything on fire again. It was the ice block's entire fault for making him think like this. His and his bizarre warmth and smile and care!

.

As soon as they got back to the guild, Natsu subconsciously darted towards the ice mage and jumped straight into his lap. Gray's eyebrows shot into his hairline from the action, completely cutting off his conversation about wines from the north with Cana, but that smile slowly found its way to his lips.

Natsu perked up when he heard the old man's chuckle behind him, "Now it makes sense…"

"Huh? What makes sense? And what did Porlyusica say?" Gray asked, confusion evident in his voice. His hand gently stroked the top of Natsu's head, the little dragon groaning happily until Makarov laughed wholeheartedly. _Don't laugh at me, old man! Ack, what am I even doin'?_ Natsu glared at the man, shaking Gray's hand of his head.

"Oh, nothing. Porlyusica said he'd be just fine. Take good care of him, Gray." With that, the old guild master joined Mira behind the bar. Natsu scowled at the old man's back, but looked up when he heard the ice mage huff.

"Obviously, that goes without saying," he mumbled, meeting Natsu's curious stare. "It's pretty late, so let's go back?"

On the walk back home, Natsu wondered what Makarov meant. _What made sense? Old man's goin' senile on us._ He shivered at the cold wind passing them by. It was getting colder, the warm weather freezing under the winter premise. Gray stuffed his hands in his pants pockets as they hopped up to his apartment floor, pulling his keys out.

"I could use some hot chocolate to warm up, but I always make it _too_ hot for my taste. I don't really drink hot things anyway. Hmm, maybe it's the weather," Gray rambled, his eyes sliding to the little dragon jumping onto the sofa. "Can you drink hot chocolate? I know dogs, err, can't handle chocolate, but I've never had a lizard before—a mutant one to be exact."

Natsu growled from his spot. _I can drink it! Do I look like a damn dog? And I'm STILL a dragon! Since when did mutant lizards come strollin' around town? Well, dragons don't either, but that's beside the point!_ Though it didn't really matter. A wide yawn escaped his mouth unwillingly. He never knew visiting Porlyusica was so tiring.

"Don't sleep there! It's fine; we don't have to drink any. I'm pretty tired too," Gray said, picking the little dragon up in his arms before walking into the bedroom. _But… I want hot… hot chocolate…_ Natsu yawned again, resting against Gray and the comfy sheets as the ice mage settled into the bed. Even as he closed his eyes, Natsu could tell Gray was staring at him. He wanted to know why, but he could feel his consciousness slipping.

"I was gonna let you go once you woke up that day I found you. I didn't know if you were friendly, or if you'd like being cooped up someplace new. But now…" Natsu felt the warm hand atop his head again, gently lulling him into slumber. "I really hope you don't want to leave… I don't know why. It's just… It's less quiet—less lonely with someone else here."

"Good night, Natsu."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_By Faralyne_

(Another Additional Character Warning: for those who don't like made-up characters; this will most likely be the last one)

"Erza's gonna kill you, you know that, right?" a cool voice had Natsu jumping. It wasn't like he was sneaking around… nope, not at all! _But, damn it! I was so close to leavin' Magnolia without anyone spottin' me!_ The pinkette huffed before turning to meet the dark blue, droopy eyes staring at him.

"What's it to ya? I'm just takin' one quest alone! You do it all the time," the fire dragon slayer pointed out, tightening his hold on his travel pack. He didn't want Gray running back to the guild to tell the scary Titania his whereabouts. Especially about the unrated quest he was sneaking out to take by himself. The requesters hadn't put a class on the quest, so no one actually knew how hard it was going to be.

"I guess," Gray shrugged indifferently. Natsu raised an eyebrow at the lack of fight. Ice Block had good blackmail material on him! When had Gray ever passed that up? "I'm usually back within the day though. The team likes to take longer quests together."

Natsu scoffed, "So? It's only two or three days, tops. What're ya? My mom? I'm just takin' a break." How did Gray manage to find the pinkette anyway? Natsu was sure he was quick and quiet when he left, only telling Happy about his whereabouts. _…Happy… He told Gray!_ He grumbled in his mind, his eyes watching the ice mage's every move. For some odd reason, Popsicle wouldn't look him in the eyes. And it was starting to annoy him.

Gray scratched the back of his head, eyes set on the dirt path ahead, "Yeah, I know. It's nothing. I don't even know why I'm here. Happy just told me you were leaving and…" The tiniest frown tugged at the ice mage's lips, and he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I don't know… it's not like you, okay? Taking quests alone. It's different if you're with Happy, but…" Gray seemed to struggle with his words.

The pinkette snorted, a teasing grin on his lips, "Don't tell me you're gonna miss me? Am I that important to the Ice Princess? Who knew?" Natsu couldn't understand why that made him so happy. His grin grew at the thought that Gray missed him.

But, maybe those weren't the right words at the moment. Gray's eyes widened. An uncontrollable tint of pink scattered itself across pale cheeks and ears, and Gray gritted his teeth at the feeling. And just like that, it felt like someone put a couple of miles in-between them. The ice mage's eyes narrowed, the unsure demeanor masked by his usual arrogant self. "_Ha_. When pigs fly. Better yet, when you actually grow a brain. I'm only here because Happy looked sad, asshole. Don't go putting yourself on a pedestal. I don't care that much." Gray's eyes didn't match his words.

_'I don't care that much.'_ Natsu felt his blood boil, his clenched hands itching to find their way to Gray's face in a fiery punch. _'I don't care that much.'_ The words shouldn't have made his heart throb rapidly in his ears. They shouldn't have angered him more than the usual playful frustration he felt when he was around the ice mage. _'I don't care.'_

"This is why I'm takin' this quest alone! Because of you people! Erza's scary. Lucy's complainin' all the time. And _you_!" Natsu shouted, pointing a tense finger at the surprised dark-haired man. "You're so goddamn frustratin'! I don't even get why I've gotta suffer through quests with your sorry ass! I need a week just to erase your annoyin' voice from my mind!"

The dragon slayer panted, his eyes never leaving Gray's face. God, the ice mage never looked so startled. His slightly ajar mouth quickly shut into a scowl. But hey, Ice Block was finally looking at Natsu. Until he turned around and started back towards the guild. Natsu opened his mouth to say something, but he didn't know exactly _what_ to say. He was finally speechless. Gray walked away. He just _walked_ _away_! No biting retort. No punch or icy attack. Nothing! And that upset the pinkette even more.

"Ye-yeah, just leave! Scared-y cat! Ice-for-brains!" Natsu shouted weakly; he was still unsure of what to say. Gray continued down his path, but the dragon slayer picked up the mumbled reply with his keen hearing.

"Whatever, idiot. Can't believe I ran here for this shit. The hell was I thinking?"

.

Natsu blinked his eyes open, the dream still fresh in his mind. _Dream? No, that was a memory… Erk, I almost feel bad about that._ The little dragon shook the guilt from his head. _No, it wasn't only my fault! Gray was bein' weird too!_ He stretched his rested limbs and looked around the room. Gray was already out of bed, out of the room and talking to someone. Natsu strained his ears to hear the voices. His mood instantly dampened, irritation clouding his mind. _Hell no. Not that scumbag again._

The little dragon was bulldozing through the apartment faster than his sleep-ridden limbs could process. He let out an exasperated roar as soon as he entered the living room, making his presence known to both men. Gray's head snapped towards Natsu as he ran towards the ice mage. Hiroto clicked his tongue in annoyance. That asshole's hand was clamped down on Gray's bicep, still tugging towards the opened door.

Gray yanked his arm back in time to catch the little dragon jumping into his arms. He laughed quietly, another sincere smile gracing his face. "Moring, Natsu… I guess you're warming up to me too, huh?" A small shudder crawled down the dragon's spine as he tried to direct his attention away from the burning on his face and towards the glare he was sending to the brunette.

Hiroto cleared his throat, "_Ahem_, so, you know, I'm sort of pressed for time. Could we, oh, I don't know, get going?" He rolled his eyes at the sight of Natsu—which made the dragon's blood boil. _Fucker, don't rush him. Wait, where's Ice Block goin' with this asshole?_ Cool breath tickled his neck, and Natsu stared back up at the sighing ice mage setting him down onto the sofa.

"Yeah, I know this is important for you. I'm happy you got a job," Gray said, his hand petting the top of Natsu's head once before stuffing his hands into his pants pockets. "Let's go."

The little dragon stared at Gray's retreating back in confusion. _No, wait! Don't leave me here alone!_ Almost as if hearing his thoughts, Gray looked back, "I left breakfast in the kitchen, Natsu. I'll be back sometime this afternoon." A dry grin formed on that asshole's face, a hand sneaking around Gray's bare shoulders.

_No, stop_—The door slammed shut.

.

_This sucks._ Natsu groaned, continually banging his head against the door he was laying next to. It had been hours already, and the clock was too far away for him to see what time it actually was. He could hear the rain pour from the grey clouds, the loudness seemed to grow over the hours. What the hell was he supposed to do all alone? Well, he ate and slept, but that was boring without company. And he scratched the door up to see if he could get out. It didn't work.

_You suck, Gray! Why're ya goin' around with that bastard? Why'd you leave me here all alone? I hate this…_

_"I don't know… it's just not like you, okay? Taking quests alone. It's different if you're with Happy, but…"_

Natsu mouthed the word, "oh." He finally understood what Gray meant when he was trying to take that quest alone. He really didn't like being alone. Not after he got the taste of a real family since Igneel disappeared… The dark-haired man was right. The little dragon never wanted to feel that dark seclusion ever again.

_Knock… knock… knock._

Natsu jolted at the sound of a tentative knock on the door. _Wha? Huh? Who's that?_ It couldn't be Ice Block since it's _his_ apartment. And Natsu doubted that Hiroto guy would knock so timidly. Wasn't he with Gray anyway?

"Err… Um… Gr-Gray-chan?" A soft, childish voice spoke. It stuttered a bit with chattering teeth and held a high pitch. _A little girl?_ Natsu's eyes widenend. _Don't tell me Ice Block knocked up some chick?!_ The little dragon thought, but he instantly snorted._ Haha, no. If he's so blind to Juvia's advances, there's no way._ The knocking started up again.

"A-are you home, Gray-chan?" the little girl asked. Natsu heard sniffling outside and then a sliding noise. Maybe she sat down? _Isn't it rainin'? What's she doin' sittin' in the rain!?_ He growled as loud as he could, hoping to scare her. Maybe she'll go back to her home instead of getting sick from staying outside.

"E-ek! What's that?" the little girl squeaked, the tremors still in her voice. Though, Natsu didn't hear her move one bit.

"I'm scared, Gray-chan… The sky's scary… mommy's scary… I'm really scared…" Natsu listened to the girl's voice break down into crying and sniffling. _I think I made it worse._ He mentally kicked himself, opening his mouth to say something… until he remembered he couldn't. _Fuck, this body's so problematic! Oi, Popsicle, where are you when I need you?_

Natsu listened to the girl's sobs slowly die down into dry heaves, his heart pulsing painfully in his ears. _Please don't cry anymore…_

"Ah!" Natsu's head snapped up at the sound of the little girl's voice. _What? What now?_

"Gr-Gray-chan! I-I, uh, mommy was…" the little girl's voice trailed off to an inaudible whimper. "Why are you hurt?" her voice became cracked and blurry. Natsu growled. _Whaddya mean, 'hurt?' O-oi, Ice Block!_

"Gr-Gray-chan?"

"… Oh! Layla, I didn't see you—why are you out here in the rain?! Come on, let's get you inside," Gray's voice finally answered, a little quieter than normal. The doorknob shook a bit from the key, swinging open quickly to reveal the ice mage and the little girl clinging to his leg.

Natsu's heart stopped.

Gray was littered in bruises and cuts, bleeding out from the rain. He was shivering slightly, dark hair and pants clinging to his body. The little dragon couldn't stop staring. Battle wounds weren't new to either of them, but these… these were different. They looked like cuts from knives and bruises from metal bats or bars. And the look in those azure eyes made Natsu's heart wither.

They were icy. Callous. The usually bright, dark blue orbs dimmed considerably and were layered with self-hate.

"I'm home, Natsu," the ice mage greeted with a forced, small smile. Natsu wanted to do something, anything, but he was just a little dragon. How the hell was he supposed to help his friend? He gritted his teeth at his incompetence. Gray needed him, the real Natsu Dragneel.

Layla peered at the little dragon before looking back up at Gray, "Gray-chan… who's that?" Natsu stared at the little girl, finally noticing how ruffled she was as well. Her ragged clothes were drenched and torn, her albino hair almost pulled out of the little ponytail. And her left cheek was swelled purplish-black, her lower lip busted up.

Gray smiled at her, picking her up off the wet floor. "This is the mutant lizard, Natsu. He's really friendly, but you can only play _after_ you take a bath and I take care of your face…" It sounded like Gray said something else—that damned woman, or something—but it was so low, Natsu couldn't catch it. _Wait, I'm a dragon—oh, fuck it, I don't care anymore._ He followed behind Gray as he carried Layla to the bathroom, grabbing towels and clothes. It was weird how he had prepared clothes that fit her… as if she came over frequently. _First it's that asshole; I know he's the reason Gray looks like shit. Now it's this Layla girl. And somethin's not right, why's she here of all places? Comin' here all alone? Where's her mom or anyone really?_

.

Gray sat on the floor, leaning against the sofa, with Layla sitting between his legs. He was trying to dry her hair, but she kept moving to pet the little dragon resting his head on the ice mage's leg. She giggled every time Natsu tried to shake her hand off, only fueling her to try again. Gray snickered, the little dragon growling in return. He tossed the towel onto the bed and proceeded to comb the girl's hair.

Layla whipped her head towards Gray, a wide smile on her face and excitement in her reddish-brown eyes, "Can I have pigtails? With braids! Braid pigtails! Pretty please?" Gray made a face.

"You overestimate my hairstyling skills… but I'll give it a try?" he chuckled and Layla turned around, sitting perfectly still. Her eyes slid to Natsu and she giggled.

"Guess what, Natsu-chan! Gray-chan's giving me braid pigtails! Don't you want hair to get braided too?" she rambled in an excited voice. Natsu snorted. _No thanks, but if I ever need a hair stylist, I know who to call—haha._

"Kakakaka…"

"Don't laugh, you damn lizard," Gray grumbled, trying to make sure the pigtails were even in the cute red ribbons. His face looked so confused but focused, Natsu couldn't help but laugh. "Anyways, is there anything you want to tell me, Layla?"

The little girl stopped smiling, the happiness in her eyes diminishing. A shaky hand cradled her cheek unconsciously, and she looked like she was debating whether she wanted to say anything at all. "U-um," her voice cracked. "Mommy was sad today, and, and she was mad at me again because I look like daddy. I didn't wanna make her sad no more, so I came here… do I make you sad, Gray-chan?"

Gray sighed, his eyes looking murderous for a split second, before he wrapped his arms around the little girl and pulled her into a comforting hug. "No, Layla, you're always welcome here. If that woman ever tries anything, you can come here, okay?" Gray felt the little girl nod in his embrace.

Natsu stared at the scene, stared at the bandaged bruise on the girl's cheek. _What shitty mother does that? She's just a little girl! Why does she gotta think about shit like this? They're family! She's supposed to love this girl forever, teach her, make her happy… Maybe the guild would take her in… Why hasn't Gray said anythin' about her before?_ To find out about both Hiroto and Layla like this, it left a bitter taste in Natsu's mouth. He never hid anything from his friends. If they didn't know something, it was because they never asked. Yet, they were always invited to. But, this, Natsu hadn't a clue that there were other people in the ice mage's life who weren't a part of the guild. _I mean, the team only found out about Lyon because I snuck out that Galuna quest. I would've never known._

This wasn't a problem before. The ice block could go be as secretive as he wanted and Natsu would be fine with it—as long as he continued to come to the guild. When did that change? That way of thinking wasn't enough anymore. Natsu wanted to know more about Gray, he wanted to be included in this life hidden from the guild. It wasn't fair that he didn't know.

"Can we all play now?" Layla's voice sounded hopeful. Gray chuckled as he stood up, stretching his limbs a bit.

"How about you play with Natsu, and I'll make… err time, time—oh it's pretty late, so early dinner?" he spoke, trying to hold back a laugh at the site of Layla and Natsu jumping for food. _Hey, I'm hungry. No judgment._ "What do you guys want?"

The little girl and the little dragon stopped jumping abruptly and looked at each other. _MEAT!_ Natsu screamed in his head, hoping the girl would want some too. A weird understanding danced in Layla's eyes before she snapped her head towards Gray, "Meat and pizza and burgers and cake and meat! No veggies! Pleeease!"

The ice mage laughed and waved a hand lazily as he walked into the kitchen, "Yeah, uh, I'll see what I can do."

As soon as Gray turned into the kitchen, Layla spun around to Natsu. "Now, let's play, 'Save the Princess!'"

She sat down in front of the little dragon, her face contorting into a serious expression as she explained the rules. "Okay, now you got to listen real good. 'Save the Princess' is a serious game. The amazing prince has to save the pretty princess from the mean dragon. I'm the prince, and you're the mean dragon, and Gray-chan is the princess locked in the tower. If I tag Gray-chan, I win."

Natsu blinked a bit at the girl to see if she would crack a smile or start laughing… but she was really serious! He snorted before nodding. _Sure, whatever ya want, girl. You aren't gettin' to the Ice Princess on my watch, haha._ If only Gray knew it were he, Natsu would never let him live this down. Even little girls call him, 'princess.' _Pfft._ Layla bounced up to her feet, jumping around a bit.

She pointed a finger at Natsu, snarling at his appearance, "I am Prince Layla from the Land of Rainbows! And I came to save Princess Gray-chan! Be gone beast!" She ran over to the door to pick up one of her shoes, holding it like a sword. And she charged at the little dragon, roaring like a warrior. Natsu's jaw dropped. _Didn't girls play with dolls and pretend to be angels and fairies or whatever?! She's more barbaric than Erza was!_ Natsu shot to the side just avoid being squashed to death, smacking into the wall. Layla charged into the kitchen and tackled Gray. Well, Natsu assumed by the sound that escaped the ice mage.

"Ack! Layla!"

She ran back out of the kitchen laughing, a wide grin on her face as she skipped up to the little dragon. "I win. You're gonna need to do better than that, evil dragon!" _Oh, this girl's goin' down._ Natsu huffed, untangling his limbs from his ungraceful crash. Before he knew it, they were rolling around on the ground, laughing and growling and play-fighting. This girl wasn't that strong, but she clawed, jumped, and tackled with all her might—forgetting about the bandage on her cheek or the scrapes she was slowly acquiring. Natsu tried to watch his claws to make sure he didn't hurt the little girl, but she didn't even care about the sharp nails.

They rolled away from each other, panting. Layla was trying to catch her breath but couldn't due to the giggles erupting from her mouth. She turned onto her stomach, propping her head up on her elbows. "I guess that was a tie. I'll accept it this one time!" she huffed, the toothy smile still on her face. Natsu snorted. _Whaddya mean, 'tie'? I clearly won! You got nowhere near the Ice Princess!_

"Oi, food's ready!" Gray announced from the adjacent room.

Layla jumped up. She sniffed the air and did a little dance, "I smell cake! Cake and meat! Yay!" She turned to the little dragon, her excitement dying just a bit. "Gray-chan's always so nice. Mommy never made stuff like this." Natsu tensed at the sudden change in demeanor. However, before he could think anything of it, Layla grabbed his tail and dragged him into the kitchen.

.

"She's finally asleep," Gray sighed, laying out the blanket and pillow on the sofa. Natsu grunted in response from his spot on the coffee table. They played a bit more until Layla tired herself out, Gray putting her to sleep in his bed. "That girl is a little powerhouse."

The little dragon snorted. _Don't gotta tell me twice._ He jumped onto the sofa as soon as Gray lied down, snuggling into the small space next to the ice mage.

"Hey, this is why I wanted you to sleep upstairs. This couch isn't big enough for the both of us!" Ice Block complained, but Natsu only waved him off. He has been sleeping next Gray since the first day. Why change things now? _You aren't gettin' rid of me that easily!_ Gray huffed, pulling the little dragon onto his chest to save space. "I swear, sometimes, I feel like you actually understand the words coming out of my mouth."

Natsu tensed up a bit, growling nervously. _Yeah… that's 'cause I do…_ Well, Gray didn't need to know that.

"It doesn't really matter… but what gets me is your eyes. They look similar to Flame Brain's. Same color and stupid squinty shape… Oh, that's the friend who's muffler that belongs to," Gray explained, somewhat pointing out the cloth sitting on the coffee table. Natsu swore his heart stopped, body temperature increasing rapidly under Gray's observing stare. _Err, m-my eyes aren't stupid, ba-bastard! Argh, I hate when he starts actin' smart and connectin' dots!_ The ice mage frowned slightly. His arms wrapped around Natsu just a bit, as if seeking some sort of comfort.

"Hey, do you want to hear a bedtime story?"

_Huh? That's kinda out of the blue. And what am I, a kid?_ The little dragon pondered in his head, giving Gray a confused look. He chuckled a bit, a single hand gently petting the top of the scaly head and back. Natsu felt his body relax before the ice mage even touched him. It was just so used to the action—to Gray's soft hands scratching in the right places.

"Once upon a time, there was a brash, destruction-prone guy. He used a rare magic: fire-dragon slayer magic. This guy suddenly showed up at the same guild the amazing ice mage—who was loved by all and super awesome and famous—wanting to join. The ice mage and the dragon slayer clashed immediately; they just weren't meant to like each other, you know? They always fought and insulted each other, pranked and joked about each other."

Natsu gulped. _Holy shit, Gray's talkin' about us! Why's he talkin' about us? I don't understand!_ He stayed as quiet as possible, making sure not to miss a single word. When had Ice Block ever said things like this to him before? He never confided in his guild members much.

"The ice mage wouldn't tell anyone this—he wasn't weak or dependent—but he wasn't the happiest person when he joined the guild himself. He was depressed and lonely, ridden with self-hate. And it grew a lot over the years. But something changed, right after that stupid dragon slayer joined the guild. And he invaded the ice mage's life. He showed him how much the guild cared about the ice mage and that he wasn't alone."

"And even though they fought a lot, deep down the ice mage knew they were best friends—that they had a special connection apart from their other friends. He didn't know exactly what that connection was, but it was definitely different. However, the ice mage never pressed the issue because that stupid dragon slayer was special to a lot of other guild members. He was everyone's important fire—and it made the ice mage and dragon slayer's little connection seem insignificant. So he pretended it didn't exist."

Gray was still talking, but Natsu couldn't really hear him anymore. _A special connection? Wha? I mean, I guess? I don't know. Gray is… Gray's someone special to me too, I think._ The little dragon thought, feeling the heat pool against his cheeks again. _Why does that make me heat up every single time?! Lucy's special to me too! And Erza! And the whole guild! But they don't make me feel sick like this!_ He exhaled a little, trying to calm down and rid himself of this insane heat taking over his body.

_To think he was so depressed before… How did I change that? Not that I'm not glad, but what did I do? I was just bein' myself._ Natsu pondered. Did he really affect the ice mage so much? The little dragon looked down. He could feel the makings of a smile tugging on his lips, but he doubted that was what it looked like on the outside. It made him happy. No, ecstatic. Since Gray was someone special to him to. _Thank you… Even though ya don't think it's me, thank you for openin' up—_

"—And then that fucking idiot went on a stupid alone quest for who knows how long! Two or three days, my ass, Natsu! It's been nearly a fucking week! Lucy's a mess, Erza's worried out of her damn mind, and I can't even—it doesn't matter. Fuck, I went off topic," Gray groaned, banging his head back against the pillow. An arm slid across his eyes, shielding them from the startled little dragon. _Err, I'm sorry? I promise I'm right here, Popsicle!_ The little dragon nudged the dark-haired man's arm a bit, groaning guiltily.

"Sorry Natsu, I didn't mean to start yelling like that, especially with Layla asleep. That idiot… He better be fine, just so I can beat the shit out of him myself." Natsu snorted. _I might feel bad, but there's no way that's happenin'._

Gray narrowed his eyes, "That look irritates me somehow. Oh well, I shouldn't be spilling my problems to you anyways… I just—never mind, it's nothing. Maybe we can go do something fun tomorrow. Night, Natsu." The ice mage curled onto his side, pulling Natsu down with him and encircled by his warmth. He snuggled into Gray's chest, slowly relaxing under the spearmint smell, the slow rise and fall of the pale chest, the steady beating of his heart. Natsu knew he couldn't stay in this body forever… but he wished he could just to revel in moments like this. This was… nice.

_Night Gray._

.

**_A/N:_**_ It's the most wonderful time of the year! Merry Christmas, Fanfiction readers! I swear I didn't plan to skip a week and update on Christmas. Things just got a little hectic, but everything's sorted out now. I've been updating every Thursday (so far), so I'll make sure to keep that up. Have a great day!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_By Faralyne_

(_Gray's Point of View_)

Gray had a nasty habit of picking things up.

It didn't matter what the substance was, it always found its way into the ice mage's hands one way or another. Whether it were unusually colored seashells from the beach, dark blue flowers growing along the side of the road, or a person who lost himself. They always found their way into his hands.

The ice mage met Hiroto by chance. He was coming back from a solo mission, tired and ready to sleep for an eternity. Magnolia was quiet at the time—it _was_ sometime around three o' clock in the morning. All Gray did was turn a corner… and then there was fire. Screaming. Confusion. Sadness. The menacing black fire lit up in the ice mage's eyes, startling his exhaustion from his body and springing him into action. He'd extinguished the flames in ice, not letting them rage in terror for much longer.

Everything was happening so fast, Gray didn't even know what he'd just saved from burning down. _What happened? Where did this black fire come from? Were there any culprits?_ Finally thinking things through, he decided to check the area (a small house) for survivors and injured people. Some of the townspeople emerged around him, thanking and aiding him in his search. Kicking down charred doors, pushing away broken furniture, and stumbling upon what looked to be a living room. That was where Gray met Hiroto.

The young man was just sitting there, lifeless. Severe burns licked his torso, arms and legs. Cuts and bruises covered his face and body. Yet, his dirtied face didn't show any pain. Only… emptiness. The hollow look in his eyes worried Gray far too much. A look he struggled with in the past before he joined the guild.

And the ice mage had picked up yet another thing.

That meeting happened nearly two years ago. They'd grown over the years—Gray grew and noticed the changes slowly stirring in the brunette. He thought everything was fine at first, Hiroto was getting better—he was healing. Yet, the closing wounds had been infected by bad influences around him. There was the alcohol and the prostitutes, the late nights out and suggestive mood swings. Everything about the brunette was changing so fast, Gray couldn't keep up.

So, he let go.

.

(_Natsu's Point of View_)

Natsu could feel the blinding sunlight through the window before he noticed the brightness touching the back of his eyelids. He scowled a bit, cursing the sun in his mind before he blinked his eyes to focus.

"Ngh…"

He couldn't help the grin tugging at his lips. It was only a week ago that this sleeping man picked up his dragon self. A week; he got the chance to spend with Gray not fighting or bickering (as much as usual) or just plainly getting on each other's nerves. They went to the guild together almost everyday, to the store, played with Layla multiple times… He was able to see into the ice mage's life a little bit more. Natsu got to see some of the Gray's private spots—ones he travelled to when he wanted to be alone.

Like yesterday, there was a meteor shower going on. Erza had already stolen Lucy, Wendy, Mira, and most of the girls at the guild, dubbing it some type of Girl's Night Out event. To think that would work out to the little dragon's advantage. He got to spend the night watching the stars light up the night, darting through the sky. And all while resting in the ice mage's lap. The dark-haired man showed him a secret path through the woods that led up some hills and to the edge of a sturdy cliff cave. The sky was so clear there and so was the excitement in Gray's eyes. That was another expression Natsu never saw. Gray's lips quivering into a smile, eyes wide and light up in giddiness, a slight flush of pink dusting his cheeks. It was like he'd almost reverted back to a child.

Natsu heard the dark-haired man more. Complaints, thoughts, ramblings, sarcastic comments, deep emotions—all of it. Gray would just look at the little dragon and his emotions flooded out his mouth like a river. Natsu hadn't a clue why Gray found it easy to confess things to him, but he didn't mind. He liked the sound of Gray's voice. All the different pitches and grumbles and tones. He especially liked learning the different laughs Gray had. He had a laugh he used around his friends, one for Juvia, one when he was nervous, one when he was feeling bitter on the inside.

And one for Natsu.

The little dragon liked the last one most. It was light and soft, but brought out some of Gray's deep voice. Though he could never figure out which Natsu it was for. The ice mage talked about the dragon slayer a lot, and that always made him heat up on the inside. Yet, he also laughed a lot around the little dragon.

_Beep! Beep! Beep! Bee—SMACK!_

Natsu jolted at the sound of the dark blue alarm clock invading his thoughts. Gray never used the thing; they always got up whenever they wanted. However, Erza was holding an important meeting in the morning and neither of them wanted to be a victim if they were late. Gray sat up abruptly, letting his head drop forward a bit and rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands. Finally wiping the sleep from his body, he turned to the little dragon and patted the top of his head.

"Mornin' Natsu…" he greeted in a scraggly voice and cleared his throat. "We better hurry or Erza'll be mad. We can eat at the guild." Natsu snorted. _The hell was that, Popsicle? Just a pat on the head? Pet me like usual, dammit!_ The little dragon growled, pouncing into the ice mage's lap before he could get ready for the day. Each and every time they got up, Ice Block petted him, that genuine smile on his face. It relaxed the little dragon to no end and caused a soothing heat to blossom deep within his stomach.

"Hey, Natsu! Oi!" Natsu jumped repeatedly in Gray's lap, nipping his hand to get his point across. "Ow, all right!"

Gray picked up the little dragon as he fell back against the sheets, chuckling a bit. He placed Natsu on his chest, letting his hand run down and up the scaly back and scratching around the lowering ears. "I think I spoiled you too much, ha-ha." Natsu sighed happily, resting his head against the pale chest and groaning in content. _I'm not spoiled… but you always pet me in the mornin'!_ He closed his eyes as he listened to Gray's steady heartbeat. But as soon as he did, the soft hand disappeared.

"Don't go back to sleep! We need to leave, now," Gray ordered, placing the little dragon on the ground as he scurried to change into his usual attire.

"C'mon, Natsu! Let's go."

.

Erza stood up on one of the wooden tables, pacing. Her fists were tightly clenched, shoulders upstretched and tense. Even a few tables away, the immense weight pushing against her shoulders could be felt. She stopped pacing once everyone she called was seated and ready; Team Natsu, Shadow Gear, Gajeel, Wendy, Juvia, and the exceeds.

"Ahem, so as you all know, Natsu hasn't returned from his… solo quest. I know we shouldn't worry yet—it was unrated and no one knows how long it'll take to finish. But I can't shake the feeling something happened," she said, her voice slowly quieting near the end. The redhead rubbed her eyes; the dark lines underneath were an obvious feature of lack of sleep.

Natsu noticed Gray freeze up, swallowing an invisible lump in his throat. He raised his hand as if the Titania would snap at him if he spoke abruptly.

"Erza, don't get mad at me… seriously, don't get mad at me," Gray said first, swallowing again when the redhead narrowed her eyes. "Um, Sulfur Breath said the quest might take two or three days—"

"**_You talked to him before he left? And you're only telling me this now?_**"

Gray quickly pointed to the blue cat siting next to Carla, "Happy told me Natsu was gonna do it!" The dark-haired man bluntly ignored the blue cat's horrified gasp of "you traitor!" and nervously scratched the back of his head.

Lucy had to break the news to Happy that the little dragon wasn't Natsu. It wasn't right to lie to him like that. However, the blue cat was strong and didn't shed a single tear.

"Sorry, I really did go to stop him but, things got out of hand and…" Gray trailed off, fiddling with his hands now.

Natsu looked up at the ice mage from his lap, frowning a bit. _We weren't fightin' like usual that day._ He didn't know Erza was holding this meeting about him. Having such a blast spending time with Gray, Natsu forgot how much his absence was affecting his entire family. _Damn it…_ He gritted his teeth, burrowing his head in Gray's shorts and letting the young man's scent comfort him.

Erza was silent for a moment until she sighed. "It's fine. But at least now we know this is serious. It's been a week, and Natsu hasn't come home. I called you all here to ask for your help."

"I want to put together a search party."

The guildhall was filled with murmurs. Until Gajeel snorted.

"Are ya serious? That's what this 's all about?" he exclaimed, rolling his eyes. Levy smacked his arm, trying her best to glare at her friend.

"Gajeel! This _is_ serious!"

"Mind your tone," Erza managed to say, her eyes tightening at the dragon slayer. Though, he looked unfazed, rising from his seat and patting the dust off his clothes.

"Y'all are a bunch a worrywarts. And I don't need ta join the party. I'm out. C'mon, Pantherlily," he grumbled as he exited the guild with his exceed.

Lucy stood up from her seat next to Gray, filling the silence with her quieted voice. "Maybe Gajeel is right…" she trailed off from Erza's intense stare, but she continued to voice her thoughts. "I mean, do any of us know _why_ Natsu took a quest alone in the first place? Maybe he's taking extra days away… We all know that, no matter what, he's strong enough to handle anything."

Even as the celestial wizard's words held truth, Erza was blinded by her worry. She roughly rubbed at her eyes. "I _don't_ know why he left without telling us! I just want to make sure he's all right. Then, I'll be satisfied and let him be… Natsu's family, and family looks out for each other."

Natsu gritted his teeth at her words. Erza was like a big sister to him. And, sometimes, big sisters were bossy and overbearing. _Why'd this spiral out of control so fast? It was one stupid quest… Now everyone's worryin' over me and I'm right in front of them!_

Wendy cleared her throat lightly. Carla cocked her head at what the little girl could possibly say. "Um, I don't think we should go after Natsu-san, Erza-san. I don't know why, but I-I feel like he's in a safe place… That's what my feelings, my senses, are telling me. Natsu-san is safe."

A look of confusion contorted the sky dragon slayer's face. "The only thing is… I only started feeling this way when Gray-san found the lizard Natsu. I-I know they aren't the same Natsu-san! Bu-but… my senses are confusing me—still telling me Natsu-san's okay."

The little dragon nodded his head fervently. _Wendy! I'm okay! I promise! I'd a never known, but Popsicle's good company, and he's been takin' good care of me so you guys don't gotta worry!_ Natsu wanted to shout his feelings, but only the familiar grumbles and growls escaped his mouth.

The Titania crossed her arms in frustration. "Fine, fine! Let's just make it a vote. Whoever wants to make a search party, raise their ha—" The sound of the guild doors creaking open cut off the armor-clad woman's sentence.

A large, stocky man strolled through the door, looking around the large building. He whistled, muttering little things to himself. Though as soon as his eyes locked with a certain ice mage, they looked slightly relieved.

"For a second, thought that asshole 'as kiddin'," he spoke, his booming voice carrying across the hall. "You Fullbuster?"

Everyone stared at the confused ice mage standing to meet the large man. A look of realization widened his dark blue eyes, and Gray clenched his fists. Icy mist oozed from his hands. "Yeah. Why?"

The guy hastily raised his hands in surrender, "_Whoa_ dude! I ain't here ta fight! Just a message from Hiroto! Says he's at Pete's infirmary gettin' fixed up. 'S all." He backed away from the enraged man, slowly exiting the guild.

"Uh, what? Gray, what's this all about?" Lucy asked, bewilderment evident in her voice.

"Gray?"

"Who was that?"

The dark-haired man's hands shook, the icy mist dispelling completely. He gritted his teeth and looked directly at the floor. He shook his head, stepping out of the wooden bench. "No one." He kept his gaze on the floor as he walked towards the guild's entrance. Natsu stared at the ice mage, his body jumping up to follow. He didn't like this. That scumbag's name popped up, and suddenly Ice Block's frosty exterior strengthened ten fold. The way his body tensed and his hands shook—Natsu didn't like it.

"Gray!" Erza's voice bellowed, her foot stomping against the table and cracking it. "Where are you going?! What about Natsu?" Gray's eyes quivered as he stopped at the open door. His nails dug into the sturdy material. He looked torn. Torn between his best friend and his best screw up. He shook his lowered head, the long bangs running over his eyes.

"Erza, I need to go. This is my problem. Besides, I doubt Flame Brain'll want me looking for him… since I'm one of the reasons he left."

_"This is why I'm takin' this quest alone! Because of you people! Erza's scary. Lucy's complainin' all the time. And _you_!" Natsu shouted, pointing a tense finger at the surprised dark-haired man. "You're so goddamn frustratin'! I don't even get why I've gotta suffer through quests with your sorry ass! I need a week just to erase your annoyin' voice from my mind!"_

Gray disappeared through the door without even noticing Natsu trailing after him. _Fuck!_ Natsu didn't actually mean it. He was only angry and caught up in the moment!

.

_You gotta be kid—_

"You've got to be kidding me."

Gray stood directly in front of the white infirmary bed Hiroto was seated on. During the entire fast-paced walk, the ice mage locked himself in his thoughts. Natsu couldn't piece together what he was thinking, but the lip biting and the agitation beading on his forehead were key signs it wasn't pleasant. _I don't get why we're goin' to see this guy. Sure he's hurt, but Ice Block's been avoidin' this asshole. Haven't seen him 'round since I met Layla, and Gray came home so… distressed._

But now, Natsu wanted no more than to beat this guy to oblivion. He was completely fine, by the way, sitting on the bed with his sprained ankle wrapped in white bandages. And Gray's heavy glare looked as if it would pierce venomous daggers through the brunette's body.

Hiroto smiled, "Hey, babe, it's been a while! Were you worried about me?" His lips curved wryly.

A tense hand snatched up Hiroto's shirt, roughly pulling him up, white teeth bared. "You fucking sent for me. I thought it was an emergency." Gray shoved the man back on the bed, heading for the door. "That's it, Hiroto. I'm done, seriously. You're on your own."

"What? Wait! Babe, come on. You _always_ say that and you never—"

"—That was before you tricked me!" Gray snapped, whipping his head back around. He gritted his teeth, hand clutching the door as if it were a lifeline. "I thought you finally stopped throwing your life away! You found a job; I was happy for you—but you…" Gray shook his head.

Hiroto stood up on a shaky leg, grabbing for the crutch a few feet away. "If I told you some gang was after me, you'd never come! You'd make me deal with it myself! I needed you, or they would've killed me!"

Gray was silent for a moment. He just stared at the bandages wrapped around that scumbag's ankle. "You didn't even ask me, so how would you know? Instead I stood there like a fool, surrounded by a bunch of shitty mages _you_ provoked," he spat in a quiet tone. A bitter chuckle escaped his mouth, but he shook it away. Letting his hand fall from the door, Gray stuffed them in his shorts as he walked out.

"Don't contact me again."

Natsu growled at the scumbag clicking his teeth. Hiroto glared in his direction, "Fuck off, pet! Damn it, now what am I gonna do?" Natsu clenched his jaw before darting towards Hiroto. _How dare he use my family like that? Who the fuck does he think he is abusin' Gray's kindness?_ All he could see was red. And he clamped his sharp teeth down on Hiroto's sprained ankle.

The brunette howled, jerking his leg to shake the little dragon off. Yet, it only made Natsu bite harder. _You don't deserve him! And he doesn't deserve a burden like you!_ Avoiding the flying crutch, he bounded back, sprinting out of the room before Hiroto could find another object to throw.

Quickly, Natsu sniffed out the ice mage. He wasn't far, several meters away from the infirmary. He sat against a tree with his knees pulled up, his forehead resting on them. The little dragon let out a strangled sound, nudging the dark-haired man with his nose. _Gray…_ Glossy dark eyes slowly turned to him. Gray quickly picked up the little dragon, hugging him into his chest.

"Why can't you be the real Flame Brain?"

Natsu tensed. He stared up at Gray, jolting when something wet fell on his head. His eyes widened.

"Just one good thing… just one'd be great right now…" Gray whispered, but instantly shook his head. "No, sorry… thanks for being here… Didn't even notice you followed me."

It hurt. Something inside his chest felt like it was ripping, his heartbeat pulsing painfully in his ears. Natsu opened his mouth to speak. He didn't care that he couldn't, but damn if he wasn't going to try. _Anythin', I don't care! I just want to say somethin'!_ He'd seen Gray cry once in his life. When his teacher washed into the sea. How much pain does he have to feel to shed those tears again?

"Grr… Grrrraaahhh," Natsu struggled, trying to calm the growling in his voice.

"Grr… Aahh… Ggrraahhhyyyaa…" The ice mage froze this time. He cautiously raised his head, staring at the little dragon in uncertainty.

"Grraaayyy."

Gray's face burned a deep red. His mouth dropped open, eyebrows furrowing in disbelief.

"Grrraay!" Natsu exclaimed, excitement evident in his voice. _Holy shit! Holy shit, I said somethin'! Cool!_

"C-cute," the ice mage finally managed to utter. The blush deepened as he scratched under Natsu's chin. "B-but how are you even…" _Wow, he's blushin' really hard. Haha… that's actually kind of… ahem, at least he's not cryin'. _Natsu leaned into the dark-haired man, closing his eyes and enjoying the soft hands against his skin.

"Grray…"

Gray shook his head, trying to will away the heat on his cheeks to think properly. "How are you talking? Don't tell me Wendy was right… But, lizards don't talk… Are you seriously a baby dragon?"

Natsu nodded his head a bit, and Gray sucked in breath.

"I can't believe I picked up a dragon."

.

The little dragon snuggled into the ice mage's body as much as he could. Gray's breathing evened out a while ago, steadily pulling him into his dreams. Once Gray finally accepted Natsu for a dragon, they headed home. The ice mage was too ashamed to return to the guild after how he left—Erza probably put together a search party by now. Neither of them even thought about food, dragging their feet straight to the bed.

Natsu wasn't really hungry—which was scaring the shit out of him—and he thought he was tired, but something was preventing him from dozing off as well. Something wasn't sitting well with his mind. Or body for that matter. His squinty eyes felt heavy and twitchy. His body felt hot and disturbed, a woozy churning tying knots in his stomach. He tried to force himself to sleep, but it only left him in a state of in-between alert and slumber.

And, after a while, Natsu couldn't tell whether he was awake or asleep.

His mind felt distorted. Was someone banging on the door? Did something just break? Gray groaned slightly, mumbling in his sleep and shifting. _Hey… Stop that… Ice Block's sleepin'…_ Natsu clicked his teeth, gently pulling out of the ice mage's embrace and stepping onto the floor. Even the whole room looked different; it looked smaller. And walking felt so weird.

He slowly made his way to the front door, unconsciously scratching the back of his head and threading his fingers through spiky locks.

"Whaddya want?" he drawled, whipping the door open and using it for support. A large yawn escaped his mouth, and he scratched his tanned stomach. Instantly, a hot irritation swelled inside his body. Natsu narrowed his eyes at the hobbled man swaying at the door.

"Wh-wha? Who ta 'ell are you?" Hiroto slurred, his hold on the broken beer bottle and his crutch tightening. "Don tell meh yer his new toy. He picked ya up too? 'Ell, I 'as 'ere first!"

The short hairs on the back of pinkette's neck stood up. "You just don't know when to give the fuck up, do you?" he growled out. He took a couple of steps forward, pressing on when he could control his balance. He snatched a fistful of this scumbag's shirt and hauled him close, placing his bared teeth just a few centimeters away from the other man's ear.

"Listen, and listen good," Natsu whispered, his voice low and harsh. "If I ever see you near him again, _I'll burn your ass to hell_. Got it?" The pinkette abruptly shoved Hiroto back, his entire body oozing killing intent. And before the asshole could retort, he slammed the door. _So fuckin' frustratin'… Man, I'm tired…_ Another yawn forced its way from the man's mouth as he travelled back to Gray's bedroom, bumping into furniture and walls along the way. _Argh… Everythin' looks all different…_

Even Gray looked smaller. He was so tall and towering before. Natsu blinked his eyes owlishly. _I could care less right about now._ He crawled back into bed, stretching and reaching for the warm body that was too far away. And he wrapped his arms protectively around Gray, fitting their bodies seamlessly together. Tanned hands threaded their way through dark, silky hair and a shirtless waist. Because that felt right.

"G'night Ice Block…"

.

**_A/N:_**_ Happy New Year! Sheer coincidence made the first day of the year a Thursday! Hope you all are thinking of your New Year's resolutions, haha. Mine consist of sleeping more, being more active (those just contradicted each other…), and trying to be less picky!_

_PS: Okay… so I've tried uploading this story like three times already (so annoying), but chapter 6 showed only the first time, then disappeared. If it works, maybe the New Year's gods do like me._


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_By Faralyne_

"_Ack!_"

Natsu tumbled off the bed and crashed onto the floor, successfully being torn from his meat-filled dreams. He clutched his abused stomach, head scanning the area in a daze. "Huh, wha? What're ya doin'?"

"Who the fuck are…" the threatening voice trailed off into incoherent words. Gray dropped to his knees, eyes widening in shock and confusion. "Fl-flame Brain?"

_Flame Brain? Why's he callin' me that? Unless…_ Natsu examined his body in a hurry. Excitement bubbled out of him in the form of loud laughter and shouts. He jumped up to his feet, pumping both hands into the air. "Yes! I'm normal!" he cried, nearly tearing up at the lively sound of his own voice. Just to check, he engulfed his fists in bright flames, pounding them together.

"Oh yeah, I'm all fired up!"

Gray's face scrunched up, the confusion only amplifying. "Wha?" The returned dragon slayer beamed him a toothy smile, crossing the room and jumping onto the bed next to the ice mage. He gripped Gray's bare shoulders and pulled him back into his chest. Gray's arms flailed, nonsense spluttering from his mouth.

"Wh-whoa, Shitty Flame! How—no, why—no, what are you doing?!" the dark-haired man stuttered, pushing Natsu back. He tried to cover the red flooding his cheeks but failed. And when he noticed the lack of clothing covering the pinkette, his eyes swirled dangerously. Hastily, he wrapped the white sheets around Natsu, his hands clutching the material closed. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!"

"Oh, right! I forgot I left my clothes behind when I transformed. Haha—oh no." The words slipped from the dragon slayer's mouth before he could stop them.

Gray froze.

"Transformed?"

The pinkette stepped back from the bed, securing the sheet tightly around his waist. He scratched the back of his head nervously. "Um…" He was going to explain, but the ice mage's mind beat him to the conclusion. The lack of a little red dragon lying in bed was a dead giveaway. _I was supposed to leave before he woke up! Shit, he won't be mad, right?_

"Natsu." The calm voice calling his name did not deceive him. Gray was furious. He remembered how deathly calm the ice mage was when those brats were pushing his dragon self around. "Get out."

Natsu blinked slowly. His brain ignored the words tickling his ears. "What?" Gray took his time crawling out of the bed as he made his way over to the dragon slayer. And snatched his ear. "Ow! Oi, Ice Block! What the hell?"

"I said, get out!" Gray snapped, dragging Natsu to the door. The pinkette struggled to see the other man's face. Gray's dark hair shielded it. However, his reddening ears stood out prominently. Natsu grabbed Gray by the shoulders again, spinning him so they were face to face. Gray kept his head down so his bangs covered his eyes. His mouth was stiffly pressed into a line.

"What the hell, Gray? Hey! Look at m—_mmphf!_" A hand grabbed his jaw and shoved him out the door.

_ Slam!_

Natsu stared at the closed door in shock from his seat on the ground. Random passerby murmured around him. Was it really that weird to get thrown out of an apartment in only a bed sheet? _Now what? Why's Gray so pissed off? And why'd he throw me out?! Bastard!_ The pinkette grumbled in his head, dusting the sidewalk off his sheet as he stood up. _I guess I'll just go home…_

"LIKE HELL I WILL!" Natsu yelled in irritation. He smashed his foot into Gray's door, watching as it collided with the opposite wall. "Get your ass out here, Ice Princess!"

Gray was laying face first on the sofa until the sound startled him off and onto the floor. He coughed at the wood and dust clouding the air, his mouth gapping like a fish. "What's your problem, Natsu?!" he shouted, staring at the cracked door stuck in his wall. "You're paying for that, you damn lizard!"

The pink-haired boy stomped right up to the ice mage, getting straight in his face. He scoffed, "Me? What's _your_ problem?! You're actin' all pissy, kickin' me out and all!" Gray looked as if Natsu asked the stupidest question in the world, the way his jaw dropped to the floor and his eyebrows furrowed. Natsu swore he heard the ice mage thinking it. _What? What did I do so wrong?!_

"_You're kidding_! You've been in Magnolia all this time while everyone's been worried sick! Oh, but that's not the worst part," Gray chuckled resentfully at the end. He turned away from Natsu and started pacing. "No, the fact that you made me care for your sorry ass the entire time is the worst! What? Did you have fun looking into my private life? Got enough dirt on me? Gonna blackmail me now?"

Natsu was speechless. Did Gray really think he planned all this for a laugh? No way! _Well, before, maybe I would've done it to get dirt on him, but that's not the case this time!_ "Gray, hey, quit pacin'!" Natsu tried, entangling his fingers with the ice mage's and pulling him in. Even in all his anger, Gray's face still managed to flush against his will. Natsu grinned.

"I swear that's not it! I ate this weird fruit and it turned me into my favorite animal—a dragon! And I couldn't talk the whole time 'cause I wasn't old enough or somethin'? And then Gramps found out, but I didn't want him tellin' anyone because it was too late and you would've beat me up! But also… you-you wouldn't 've said all those things if you knew it was me! …I liked livin' with you. And it was nice to listen to ya loosen up instead of always being so cold and all. I didn't want it to end… so yeah."

Natsu felt the heat tickle his cheeks as he finished his rambling explanation. He found it particularly hard to look into the wide azure eyes staring him down. He snapped out of it when Gray groaned, smacking a hand to his face.

"God, I could say those things because I didn't know it was you! Damn it, Sulfur Breath… you especially weren't supposed to hear them," the dark-haired man mumbled, his voice sounded edgy and defeated.

The pinkette cocked his head to the side, obliviously innocent, "Why not? I wouldn't have found out you like me so much, haha!"

Gray paled.

And that large distance seemed to push in between them again. "I-I don't know what you're talking about. Quit being so goddamn self-centered! And let go of me—why are you being so clingy?" Gray stumbled over his own words, snatching his hand out of the dragon slayer's grasp and moving back more than a couple steps. His heart was beating rapidly, Natsu could tell. _Why's he actin' like I discovered his deepest darkest secret or somethin'?_ He subconsciously reached out his hand until he noticed it. _Fuck, I'm just used to touchin' you! Why's that a problem now?_

"I don't like you."

Gray glared straight into Natsu's eyes. But this time, Natsu wasn't going to be fooled. Gray was always good at hiding behind those icy masks. And Natsu couldn't understand why he'd say some of the things he did. But not this time. Because Natsu was really looking at him. He'd been observing the ice mage for a week—even his instincts knew Gray was lying.

"Yes, _you_ _do_."

Gray gritted his teeth. "How can _you_ tell me how _I_ feel? No one's that conceited. Oh, I guess I stand corrected then." Natsu snorted. He crossed his arms, taking a step closer. _Insultin' me isn't gonna work… But it's still irritatin'._

"Because I've been watchin' and listenin'. So yeah, I think I can be a little conceited or whatever," Natsu nodded his head triumphantly, expecting Gray to give it up by now. What he didn't expect was the icy fist smashing into his face. He fell back, toppling onto the coffee table. It shattered under his newly acquired weight.

Gray clenched his fist, frosty mist seeping from it. "This. This is what we're like. This is how it's supposed to be between us." Natsu growled, shooting up from the shattered glass and tackling the ice mage. They rolled along the floor, yanking and clawing at anything they could get their hands on. Gray's back slammed into another wall. He kneed Natsu in the stomach, successfully pushing the dragon slayer back. But Natsu was quick. The pinkette grabbed a fist full of dark hair, jerking Gray up to his feet. And he connected a fiery fist to the man's face.

"Heh, maybe you need some sense knocked into ya then," Natsu snickered; the thrill of fighting with Gray again sent shudders down his spine. The ice mage spat out the blood pooling in his mouth, his cheek already swelling red. He glared and swiped Natsu out from under his feet.

"Ice Make…" he gritted through bloody teeth, Natsu already blocking with fire-engulfed fists. "Hammer!" The large ice hammer dropped down from the air, smashing onto Natsu. Even as the slayer blocked the attack, it still hurt like hell. _Fine, two can play that game!_

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

Natsu rammed his flaming fist into Gray's stomach. The ice mage's eyes bulged as his body lurched backwards, crashing through the kitchen wall. And before the smoke could clear, the dragon slayer was hovering over him, pinning his arms and legs down.

Natsu grinned, "Dude, I've got a week's full of magic just waitin' to be used. Give it u—_FUCK_!" Gray's forehead collided into the pinkette's, sending waves of pain through his head. It took all of his control to not let go of the ice mage and care to his head-butted, bruised forehead. "You cold-hearted asshole!"

Gray grimaced, averting his eyes and turning his head to side a bit. He was pouting. Gray was actually pouting! Natsu wanted to laugh at how cute he really looked (minus the swelled cheek) rather than angry. He lightly pressed his forehead against Gray's to get his attention.

"Yanno… I don't even remember what we're fightin' about."

"…"

"…"

"_Pfft!_" The uncontrollable snort that forced its way from the ice mage's mouth shocked Natsu. It quickly turned into a laugh, shaking his entire body.

"Huh? What? What's so funny?" Natsu asked, confused.

Gray just shook his head, trying to calm himself down. Tears prickled his eyes, the laughs still bubbling out from his clamped mouth. Gray smirked. "That's so like you." Natsu blinked owlishly as his mind tried to process the words. A nasty blush rushed to his face. He coughed, turning his head completely to the side.

"R-Right."

Gray seemed to notice his change in demeanor and bothered his lower lip. "Yeah, well, get off." Natsu quickly stood up, Gray following. "You should still go."

Natsu furrowed his eyebrows, "But—"

"—Go see Happy. He could really use his best friend. And Lucy and Erza deserve some sort of apology," Gray said, a little too fast. The pinkette could tell he just wanted him gone, but at least he gave some damn good excuses. _An apology… Does that mean Gray needs one too?_

"Erm, okay…" Natsu trailed off, walking back to the door—or where the door used to be. The air felt so awkward. Gray trailed a few steps behind, hands stuffed in his shorts. "Then, I'll be at the guild, err, after I get some clothes… And, Gray?" The ice mage's eyes flickered his way. Natsu grinned his usual toothy smile.

"I'm sorry."

.

_'Look more sincere, then!' Who does he think he is?! That was a sincere apology! Shitty Ice._ Natsu grumbled in his mind. When he reached his home, there wasn't a blue cat in sight. The pinkette could only hope he was at the guild so he could apologize to him. Swallowing nervously, the fire dragon slayer pushed open the large guild doors.

"Hey everyone! Haha…" he chuckled awkwardly. Any talking or fighting stopped, all heads craned in his direction. The packed-and-ready group surrounding Erza had their backpacks thudding to the ground.

Cue dramatic waterworks. Oh, wait. No, those were upset waterworks and imaginary pitchforks.

"NATSU!"

"You asshole!"

"Did you have a good vacation, _huh_ brat?"

"Natsu! I'm so glad you're back!"

The pinkette sighed. At least the last one held no hard feelings. He laughed as his best flying friend collided onto his head, fat tears streaming onto his face. Natsu rubbed his nose in embarrassment. Even he had some tears to hold back. "I missed you a lot, buddy. I'm sorry for leavin' you behind. I'll never do it again!"

He jumped at the growing, murderous intent thickening the air. _Eek!_ Reluctantly, Natsu turned his head towards the enraged Titania and fidgeting celestial mage. Quickly, he raised his hands in surrender. "Erza, I can explain!"

"Shut up." Tough armor encased him in a painful, but warm hug. Red hair tickled his nose. _Ow!_ It hurt, but Natsu wouldn't dare push her away.

"Welcome back, Natsu," Lucy smiled, its brightness lighting up her dim face.

He grinned, "I'm home."

They all sat down, the whole guild crowding around their table to hear Natsu's story. Drinks and music danced their way around the guild. The liveliness cheered Natsu up. He talked animatedly about the quest and the fruit, how Gray picked him up and the meeting with Porlyusica. Though he deliberately left out anything related Layla and Hiroto. _Gray probably wouldn't like that._ He earned some hefty punches, but it was worth it, being around his family as himself.

"Wow, to think fruit had such magical properties!" Levy exclaimed, intrigued but not enough to visit the scary guild medic for more information.

"Yeah… How did Gray take all of this?" Lucy asked, frowning when Natsu tensed up. "He does know, right?"

"Oh, he knows all right," Natsu mumbled. "But he didn't take it so well."

Gajeel snorted, "Gihihi, ya got some good dirt on him after spendin' all that time together, right? I'd be pissed."

Erza gasped and smacked Natsu on the head once again. "Natsu! What did I tell you about fighting? You two are best friends!"

"A-Aye…" the pinkette replied, his head dropping. "But we keep tryin' to tell you, 'best' is a little…"

"_Huh?_"

"Nothin'."

Lucy chuckled in amusement, stepping in to help her friend. "Well, you'll have to apologize then. I know you didn't have bad intentions, Natsu. You were depending on Gray a lot, right?"

"Haha, right! Wasn't he always snuggling in Gray's lap and tackling him?" Levy giggled. "It was so cute!" The fire dragon slayer could feel the steam oozing from his ears, and he jumped onto the tabletop to veil his embarrassment in anger.

"I was not!" he pouted. He crossed his arms. "And I already said sorry."

Even Wendy looked mildly shocked. "Natsu-san, you apologized to Gray-san without Erza-san or Lucy-san telling you?"

"Is the world ending already?"

"Are you really Natsu?"

"O-Oi! You bastards!" Natsu huffed, turning his head from the laughing guild.

.

"Natsu, listen up," Erza demanded. The fire dragon slayer complained, lifting his head from the table; only to plop his chin back down. They partied until the sun retired and the moon illuminated the night. Regardless of how much energy he had just waiting around, the guild's parties always wore him out in the end. _Though it would've been more fun if a moody Popsicle showed his face at least once._ He puffed his cheeks. "I'm thinking of taking a quest tomorrow. Of course, with all of you as well; Lucy, Wendy, Happy. Gray too."

Lucy perked up a bit, still woozy. Even though she mostly sat at the bar with Levy and Mirajane, she was still tired out. Wendy was passed out, snuggled up to Carla and Happy. Most of the guild had slipped into unconsciousness by now. "Eh? But Natsu just got back—err, returned to normal! Shouldn't he rest for a bit first?"

The pinkette shook his head, "Nah, I've been restin' at that Shitty Ice's apartment. I could use it—the bad guys'll never know what hit 'em!"

"Yeah, well, don't eat anymore weird things, and we should be fine," Lucy smirked, resting her chin on the palm of her hand. Natsu stuck his tongue out at her, but tensed when a particular scent travelled to his nose. _He's here!_ The pinkette was about to turn his head until something soft was plopped onto his head. He scrunched his eyes up, grumbling and pulling the materials off his head.

"My muffler! And my money pouch," Natsu exclaimed, turning to face the ice mage. Gray rolled his eyes. He wasn't looking at the dragon slayer again—and it was pissing Natsu off _again_.

"Don't leave your shit at my place. It's not like I can use it," Gray muttered. He stuffed his hands back in his pockets, already looking at the door.

"Gray, pack your things. We're taking a quest tomorrow morning. Meet at the train station," Erza informed him. Gray sweat-dropped.

"Don't I get a say in this?" he said to himself, but Natsu's keen hearing picked up his voice. He scratched the back of his head. "Uh-huh, whatever. See yah tomorrow."

.

**_A/N:_**_ Hey-yo! For some reason this was really hard to write after the morning scene, haha. Plus, I kept getting ideas for stories after this one stuck in my head!_


End file.
